Who cries during a Scholar's Fair?

Actually...there are more tears than you would imagine, but today, the tears were mine. Here I am surrounded by utter chaos, so busy, I can't even sit and have lunch...run...run...run, and then time for the music category. I had been encouraging some of the younger students to step out and try. Today they were sitting there absolutely horrified. One of those students hadn't brought a track to sing to-she thought she could just sing to a CD. Her grandmother ran to the store to buy her a track and she got a very brief practice run, during which Katherine and a few other students stepped up to help her. She couldn't hear the cues or keep on key. Way too soon it was time...she stepped up to the mic with absolute horror written on her face, shaking her head. We cheered her on and the music started. She missed her cue and started to quit, but one of our students made eye contact with her and sang along with her. She cued her, gave her the words, and I watched...and I cried. This same student was singing her first solo and very hesistant. I watched as she dug deep and gave this other student, one she has been known to pick on and torment, the courage to keep on. I cried again. It made every up and down, all the chaos-absolutely everything -worth it. After all..it is easy to want to come out on first, it is easy to criticize someone who hasn't walked in your shoes, but both these students knew how afraid they were, and instead of criticizing, they came together. WOW! To live in a moment where no one was attacking, no one was criticizing, everyone was cheering each other on. I couldn't begin to express the beauty of it! I couldn't wait to tell both those young ladies how proud I was of them; the one because she didn't run off the stage-she stuck it out, the other because she didn't let her sink alone! As a teacher, as a student "cheerleader," if all I get right this whole year was lighting both their fires-I will be content with the job I did! Praise God!