Kindness is a gift to our children with special needs. In today’s guest post, Rachel Cordeiro describes how her mother’s heart was touched by a little girl’s act of kindness toward Cami, Rachel’s visually impaired daughter.

The Kindness of a Little Girl

After taking my seat near the front, a commotion captured my attention. Panic gripped my heart as the line of children filed quickly into the auditorium. “The children’s choir must be singing tonight,” I thought.

Nervously, I scanned the line of boys and girls, searching for Cami. I eyed the first staircase she would have to walk down, then the platform steps she would have to walk up, worrying over how she would manage to safely navigate both. I spotted her at the top of the staircase and held my breath as I watched her descend slowly down the stairs, her small hand gliding gently down the banister. That’s when I first noticed the girl walking beside her. She was holding Cami’s free hand, guiding her down the steps.

I should jump in and help, I thought. I was worried that the little girl might move too quickly for Cami, causing her to fall. A struggle waged internally as every muscle in my body ached to help, but I fought the urge to race to her side.

I stayed put.

Will she even stand still on that step? I thought as the children began to form into lines on each of the three platform steps. What if she falls? I worried.

Still, I waited.

As the children began to sing, their sound filled the auditorium, but I was too preoccupied with Cami, paying close attention to how she was handling this new environment. As I looked on at the little girl now standing confidently by Cami’s side, I noticed something else.

She was still holding Cami’s hand.

In that moment the kindness of her simple gesture was the only music I heard. Its clear melody echoed deeply into my heart, drowning out the voices of the singing children. I was touched by her thoughtfulness and thankful for her willingness to assist my daughter.

As I observed the situation that night, I had felt helpless. I was certain something would go wrong, choosing only to remember every time that it had.

By allowing myself to remember the worst, I had forgotten to hope for the best.

In parenting a child with special needs, fears often creep in whispering the what ifs of possible scenarios. Doubts cloud your focus, speaking lies that no one cares enough to help.

There are days when it’s hard to sit back and watch. But part of growing is learning, and the learning sometimes involves letting go. That night it was difficult for me to sit back and watch, but I’m so glad that I did. For if I hadn’t, I would have missed out on hearing the most beautiful song of that night, its rich melody still ringing out its unforgettable music—

the kindness of a little girl.

What Kindness Have You Observed?

Thanks, Rachel, for your sweet post. Sorry, everybody, for not issuing a tissue warning beforehand. Once you’ve dried your eyes, feel free to leave a comment about kindnesses your child with special needs has experienced.

Do you like what you see at DifferentDream.com? You can receive more great content by subscribing to the quarterly Different Dream newsletter and signing up for the daily RSS feed delivered to your email inbox. You can sign up for the first in the pop-up box and the second at the bottom of this page.