moments of hope for our future

i know that my last post denied it, but there is no point in that now. david and i have called it quits. For the last time, all you sarcastic children out there who rolled your eyes! But this is not the main purpose of this post (however, the world of online dating may be a subject for several future posts!).
The purpose of this post relates to my students. I have one student, we will call him Drake for the sake of the story. Drake has been one of the lovely children that has perpetuated my fake prejudice against blonde adolescent males under 5'2". He loves to be out of his seat when he shouldn't be, loves to say really disrupting remarks when i'm talking which then takes me a few minutes before i can get the class on track. He likes to do bizarre things with desks, which include riding them like a motorcycle, using them as a dance floor and my personal least favorite, humping them. His mother heard about the last one, it hasn't happened since. However, like any 13 year old boy he loves to find opportunities to be inappropriate in ways he doesn't completely understand. In spite of all that I really actually love this kid.
So now that we all have a clear view of him in our head- picture him in class being obnoxious. When the conversation turns towards Cecily, which the kids know i have a weakness for off task discussion when it comes to her the kids try to keep the conversation going they by asking about david, and ask "isn't he your boyfriend?" to which i replied, since i was still reeling from it myself, that i was single as of the day before (easter, mind you. EASTER. in a hospital after i visited his grandpa. yeah. classy). i laughed it off, well because honestly, the whole situation is so awful it can only be hilarious at this point, so the class laughed with me and still tease me about it when they get a chance (seriously, they will just yell easter! at me while walking down the hall. gotta love middle schoolers).
We continued on with class after a minute and it seemed like an uneventful class. i didn't wallow in pity and we got some work done. After class everyone left and my next period class shuffled in. i didn't notice Drake leaving, but i saw him coming back into the room. My first reaction was something akin to fear, i never know what this kid will do. Drake simply walked up to me at my desk, gave me a big hug, and walked out the door. No comment, no calling attention to himself. Simply a moment of pure concern for someone else and doing all that a little 13 year old boy could do about it.
So here is my testimonial: our future is in good hands. Moments like these are priceless indicators of the compassion and caring nature of our future generation. So the next time you see some obnoxious kids at the mall (as they are wont to be), or children that seem to have no sense doing some activity that seems to ensure bodily harm, please remember that in those insane little bodies is a kind and generous soul. And if they knew you needed one, would give you a big heart-melting hug in an instant. i just hope they can say the same about us.