The School Nurse

Every morning, the school nurse would stand between the school gate and the shoe lockers, greeting the children with a cheerful "Good morning!"

My son and I would also offer a brief greeting as we walked past her.

One day, as I was heading to work after leaving my son crying in the classroom as usual, I saw the school nurse standing by the shoe lockers.

"Are you doing okay?" she asked.

She had been waiting by the shoe lockers, concerned about how my son and I were doing.
The moment I heard her voice, everything I had been holding back came rushing out, and I burst into tears as I spoke to her.

She listened to everything—my anxieties, my pain, and my inner struggles—nodding along the whole time.

Since my son had never needed to visit the nurse's office for injuries or illness during his first year, I had never really had a chance to talk with her at length.
Even when he didn't want to go into the classroom, the option of spending time in the nurse's office hadn't occurred to him, but thanks to her thoughtfulness, she created a space for the three of us to spend time together.

From then on, there were days when he didn't want to go to class and would go to the nurse's office instead, where he seemed to spend his time doing origami, playing Othello, and chatting with her.

Even now, I still believe that I was saved by the fact that she reached out to me that day.