THREE DAYS LATER CAME FAMILY SKILLS DAY
I assumed Marcus wouldn’t show up.
Our introduction had not exactly gone smoothly.
Then Noah spotted him standing near the gate of Cedarbrook Elementary School.
His entire face lit up.
He grabbed my hand.
“Come on!”
At registration, Noah’s teacher smiled.
“Who did you bring today?”
Noah pointed at me.
“My mom.”
Then toward the giant biker standing beside me.
“And my Marcus.”
Marcus blinked hard.
Nobody corrected him.
Neither did I.
AT THE BICYCLE STATION, NOAH WAS AMAZING
He placed a chain back onto the gears almost perfectly.
I cheered.
Marcus folded his arms.
“Acceptable.”
Noah gasped.
“What?”
“Acceptable.”
“You told me yesterday I was awesome!”
“That comment was off the record.”
I laughed.
Then came the sewing station.
Marcus was terrible.
Absolutely hopeless.
I stared at the knot of thread he had created.
“You taught life skills?”
“Some lives involve fewer buttons.”
“You’ve tangled everything.”
“I repair engines.”
“Apparently fabric is stronger.”
So I taught Marcus how to sew on a button.
Noah watched us.
And that became my favorite part of the entire day.
Marcus taught Noah.
I taught Marcus.
Nobody had to know everything.
Nobody had to be everything.
THE FINAL ACTIVITY WAS A SMALL WOODEN BOARD
Each child had to write three things they had learned.
Noah bent over his carefully.
Then turned it around.
Three words:
ASK.
LEARN.
TEACH.
I touched the first.
“Why these?”
“Marcus says if you don’t know something…”
Noah tapped ASK.
“…you ask.”
Then LEARN.
“Then you learn it.”
Finally:
TEACH.
“And someday someone smaller asks you.”
Beside us, Marcus suddenly found something fascinating on the opposite side of the playground.
Noah noticed his eyes.
“Are you crying?”
“No.”
“You are.”
“Wind.”
“There’s no wind.”
Marcus cleared his throat.
Noah smiled.
“Tough guys can cry.”
Marcus looked down.
“Who taught you that?”
Noah pointed at me.
“My mom.”
Then grinned.
“She knows lots of stuff.”
I had to look away after that.
