May 6, 2021- The six and seven-year-olds watched, from the safety of the playground and grassy field, as a thick black cloud rose, five miles away. The four of us adults watching the group of fifty fielded lots of questions and assuaged the concerns of those watching, that the fire would be upon us, “any minute now.”
It had been a most productive day, from working on mixed addition and subtraction to working on a Mother’s Day packet. The children worked well in pairs and in groups of four, with a bit of “He said I have no friends” and “She scribbled on my Mother’s Day heart”. Some things never change, and are just handled with care.
I stood with a thoughtful little man and explained how the smoke would not affect us, while he continued to express concern about the chance it could zip across five miles of houses and fields. I assured him the fire department was on the job, and as the smoke drifted eastward, well away from us, we all happily watched as the thick black cloud diminished-then disappeared altogether.
It was a bad day for a junkyard owner, but a good day for some little ones to keep faith in their elders, and in their First Responders.
A Sagittarian Seeker 
I can imagine the threat of fire in a fire prone area is terrifying to children (and adults). A steady and unruffled response can do much to allay those fears. Glad to hear that you were their “rock”!
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I remain a “rock” to as many children as I can impact.
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I just came from a zoom meeting discussion of how one measures the strength of their faith. This is an excellent example, and I’m happy that you were able to provide that faith to the children! As Val says, the threat of fire in a fire prone area is terrifying, and one’s strength of faith sometimes comes from the wisdom of knowledge and experience.
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Faith is the one thing that we can consistently impart to children. I was in a very different setting today, where someone is actively trying to instill fear in the students.
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How very sad that, unfortunately, fear is even easier to instill in children. I hope you were able to have some positive influence for the kiddos!
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We got along great. It was one of the adults who was the wet blanket, but a peaceful resolution of that matter looks imminent. Cool heads tend to prevail.
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