Best Friend Needed............Please Apply Within

“Mom, Gage doesn’t go to my school anymore. I don’t have any friends anymore, he went to his old school.”

He is trying to be brave. He is holding his face up in normal alignment. He is trying to be brave.

I talked to Sandis’s teacher on Tuesday about this. She said he had had a really tough day, and that his best friend had gone back to his old school. Sandis’s ONLY friend. Gage is the little boy who waits with him while he takes the extra time he needs to move from one thing to another. Gage is the little boy who so patiently waits, without judging, through Sandis’s frustrations and tantrums. Reliable Gage. My sons friend. Gone.

I asked Sandis about Gage leaving yesterday and he said Gage still went to his school. This morning his story is different.

“Oh, baby.” I say.

I feel my face fall. I feel tears fill my ears. I know that I can not hold my face in normal alignment. I know I can’t hide how much this hurts me. Sandis sees me and his face falls as well. His hands go up to hide his tears and he sobs “I miss him so much, mom. I don’t want to be alone. I miss him so much.”

Sandis and I pray. We pray to God that he will watch over Gage and help him know how much Sandis misses and loves him. We pray that Gage will find new friends at his new school easily. Then we pray for Sandis. We pray that God helps Sandis find a new special friend at his school. My son sobs. Sandis’s cries are not wails, they are defeated, mewling sobs. The sound is heart-wrenching.

I encourage Sandis to seek a new friend, and I tell him how awesome and fun of a little boy he is. I tell him how lucky his new friend will be to have him as a friend.

Inside I know how hard it will be to find that new best friend for Sandis. I know that this friendship was carefully supported and enforced by his teacher. You can not engineer love, but if not for the staff at Sandis’s school the kind and shy little Gage may never have paired off with my exuberant and boisterous Sandis. I have a whole lot of trust to place in God and in the staff at Sandis’s school that they will make similar efforts in helping Sandis to pair off with another child. I hope there is a child that is pining for the energy and love that Sandis has to give.