A+

 Last night we went to the high school to see a basketball game and see my daughter dance at the half.  While there we ran into a boy with autism whom my son had had the opportunity of working with last year.  He speaks minimally and often only speaks using lines from Disney movies.  He was at the game with his mom and we were fortunate to sit next to them.

 I introduced myself as Alex's mom.  When I did, she said how much her son liked Alex and how her son would love the opportunity to say hello to him.  I quickly ran into the student section and fished my son out from among the crowd.  He followed me up to the top bench where we were sitting.  When this darling young man saw my son coming up the stands he threw his arms in the air as if he were signaling "touchdown."  His excitement was clear as Alex asked him Disney related questions.  His mom then confided that her son had said that Alex was his best friend.  Kinda like Buzz and Woody I guess.

My husband and I have always told our children that treating others with kindness at school is just as important as getting good grades, maybe even more important.  Last night I was more proud of my son for getting an A+ in kindness than I was of his straight A report card.

And, I might add, my daughter got an A+ (from me) for her funky hip hop dance!