First Choice

Two weeks ago, Gage came bounding off the school bus with that “I had a great day at school” spring in his step.

I love it when that happens.

Before I could ask him how his day was, he shouted as he ran toward me, “Mom, guess what?  The whole second grade gets to do a wax museum this month and all the parents and all the grades…including the 6th grade….will be coming to see us!”

“A wax museum?” I responded.  “Tell me about it!”

As he always does, he unburdened his back pack and coat into my arms as we talked and walked up our driveway to the house.

“Well,” he excitedly answered. “All of the second graders get to dress up like someone really important and special from history…”

Ah, I thought. And a sewing project for moms too. My mind immediately began inventorying the fabric remnants and thread quantity in my basement.

“…and guess who I want to be?”

“Who?” I asked.  I knew his class had been studying great men and women from American History and wondered which of the men he would choose. Perhaps, Martin Luther King, or one of the Wright Brothers? Maybe Thomas Jefferson, Albert Einstein or Squanto.

I was eager to find out.

“Joseph Smith!” he exclaimed.

His answer stopped me.

It was a curious thing for me. I felt both warmth and cloudiness.

Warmth because Joseph Smith is indeed an important and special person in our lives and the lives of millions of other Latter-day Saints across the globe.  I saw the same feeling of love and respect that I feel myself for this truly historic figure radiating in the eyes and smile of my eight year old.

But then the clouds…

Will his public school allow this?

Gage handed me the project’s instructions. On one side there was a list of suggested people from which students could choose.  That word could made all the difference, though not to my surprise – nor disappointment, really either -  Joseph Smith wasn’t on the list.

On the other side there were three lines to write my child’s top three choices. The teacher ultimately made the decision who each child would represent.  This wisely avoided having more than one Ben Franklin or Marie Curie in a classroom.

The instructions were clear.  After turning in his three choices the next day, his teacher would highlight in yellow marker which character Gage would be at the wax museum. It would then be sent home that same afternoon so we could get going on a costume and timeline with five biographical bits of information.

I set aside the list of suggested historic people and coinciding instructions as we  went about the afternoon’s errands and activities. Later, after dinner and dishes were taken care of, I took the instructions to Gage’s room to fill out his top three choices.  I asked him if he wanted to review the list of suggested people once more with me. 

“Why?” he asked.  “I already know who I want to be, Mom. Don’t you remember?”

I smiled reflectively and nodded. “I think you’ll be a great Joseph Smith, Gage.”

I penned Joseph Smith on line number 1. His first choice.

“There are two more to fill out.” I said. “Who is your second choice?”

Without looking up from working on the Lego project sprawled across his desk he said, “Gordon B. Hinckley.” (Late President of our church.)

“Gordon B. Hinckley?” My eyebrows raised as I repeated back his choice – though I had heard it with perfect clarity. Warmth and clouds again. But this time, mostly warmth.

I laughed to myself when he said, “Yeah, well, Thomas S. Monson (current President of our church) hasn’t died yet. I have to choose someone who’s already dead.”

So on line number 2 I wrote Gordon B. Hinckley.

“And who’s your third choice?” I asked wondering a little cynically if it would be Brigham Young.

“Well, I guess I could always be George Washington.” he said, still engrossed in his project. 

“That’s another great choice. “ I replied as I wrote the name of America’s first president on line number 3.

“You know what though?” he said, finally looking up towards me, “I know I’ll get to be Joseph Smith, Mom, because I’m the only one in second grade who knows how important he is.”

Before falling to sleep that night, I offered a silent prayer of gratitude for my sweet Gage whose confidence in  - and child like enthusiasm for - these men of his faith taught me volumes.

But the next day, he didn’t bound off the bus.

I rummaged through the back pack he unloaded once again into my arms to find the paper with his top three choices listed.

Line number 3 was highlighted in yellow marker.

“Did your teacher tell you why she chose George Washington?” I asked gingerly not wanting to add to his disappointment.

“It’s because there aren’t any books in our school library about Joseph Smith.” he said while getting a chocolate milk and a bag of pretzels for a snack.

If that’s the only thing keeping him from being Joseph Smith, I  thought, I could make a quick donation.

I asked Gage if he wanted me to see if I could help him be Joseph Smith for the second grade wax museum.  After getting his, “Yes!” stamped on my next course of action, I picked up the phone.

It was a very nice conversation, albeit hugely compromising by both parties. 

Gage was permitted to be Joseph Smith at the wax museum. That was the school’s compromise despite “not  feeling comfortable with religious figures” at the annual event. 

 

Ours was that we agreed that “none of the biographical information would state anything remotely associated with religion” and we would “not bring in copies or images of any religious text.”

So, what was on the approved biographical timeline for Joseph Smith you might ask?

He was born December 23, 1805 in Sharon, VT.

He was a General in the military.

 

 He ran for president of the United States.

 

He campaigned to abolish slavery.

  

He died June 27th, 1844.

 

When asked “Didn’t Joseph Smith start a church"?” Gage replied, “He did, but I couldn’t talk about those parts.”

EPOLOUGE

The Second Grade Wax Museum was magnificent! The children did an absolutely amazing job depicting their chosen historical characters. Each class room was filled with displays of great and influential historic figures like Amelia Earhart, Ulysses S. Grant, Sacagawea and Thomas Edison hand painted by the kids on butcher block paper and traced in the child’s own body.

And among them was Gage’s first choice.

All warmth.