When the children became the teachers

Earlier this month, Marie McGaugh was subbing in a kindergarten class at Souris Regional School on Prince Edward Island, Canada. The children gathered around her feet for morning circle time, settling in for songs and stories. One girl pointed to her friend beside her and said, not unkindly, "Your shirt is on backwards." Other children overheard this and soon the whole class had turned to look at the girl with the backward shirt. Several giggled. The girl with the backward shirt hung her head, red with embarrassment. 

Ms. McGaugh took this as an opportunity to talk with the kids about hurt feelings and choosing kindness. But as she began, she saw another child silently slip her own arms from her sleeves and turn her own shirt backwards. Then another, and another, until within minutes, almost the entire class wore their shirts backwards. They kept them that way for the rest of the day.

"It was just one of those golden moments where I didn't teach them, they taught me," McGaugh said. "I was blessed to witness it."

4-year-old girl visits her 82-year-old best friend on Halloween

The story of 4-year-old Norah Wood and her new friend has gone viral.

As Norah's mother Tara explained it, in late September, she and Norah were grocery shopping when Norah waved at a stranger. "Hi, old person," she said. "It's my birthday today!" The man and Norah chatted for a few minutes then parted. 


A few minutes later, Norah asked her mom if she could get a picture with the man since it was her birthday. The man, Mr. Dan as Norah now called him, was taken aback but delighted. They posed together like they'd known one another for years. 


Since meeting in late September, the two new friends have visited weekly for play dates.
Norah stopped over on Dan's 82nd birthday, and on Monday, stopped by again to show off her Minnie Mouse costume.  

It seems that Dan's wife passed away a few months ago, and he'd been feeling pretty low. 
The chance meeting with Norah and her kind heart was just what he needed to lift his spirits. Mr. Dan later told CBS News, “There were other old people [at the grocery store], and she saw me and I was the ‘old people’ she had to talk to.”

Norah's mom added her own thoughts. "I can only assume there was some divine intervention or stars aligning or she was nudged by the universe. I know we’re all better because of it." 

Mr. Dan's perspective cuts to the chase. “If I didn’t have anything else to do the rest of my life, I have her to love.”