* left behind at Boarding School

My parents taught at a boarding school for missionary kids (MKs) so I lived at home while an MK which made me very different than most of the rest of the kids there who lived in a dorm. However, as a high school MK I finally began to see the poor little oh so young first and second graders left behind when their parents went back out to their “stations” where they worked. Sometimes these little ones were left standing out in the yard alone as their parents drove off, leaving them behind. One of the saddest things I’ve ever seen.

I had no idea of what to do about it but what I would do is go down every once in a while and visit them during school in their classroom. Making a show of sitting down in one of their little chairs and then picking up and putting their little desk in my lap. Talking a bit with them (our Elementary Ed teacher was a very patient lady who allowed me to do all this). They really enjoyed this. I don’t remember doing more than this which obviously wasn’t much. Wish I had. Especially now as I have a better understanding of all that was going on within those dear little ones. For some I know, now 50+ years later, this experience still continues to haunt them.