Marcel

Marcel had been stressing about writing his GEDs for about a month. He worked best with his hands and had never completed high school. Now, 20 years later he had felt compelled to go back to school and earn his diploma. He had overcome depression and battled his addictions. He had started his own business and paid off his debt. He fell in love and made it work. Surely he could do this.

But fear and uncertainty gnawed in his gut. He had difficulties reading and writing as a child and was labeled a “slow learner” despite being highly creative and sociable. He knew that the extra tutoring he received during recess wasn’t because he was “extra special”. He knew he was dumb.

Today, Marcel walked into the brightly lit kitchen with a small brown envelope in his hand. He sat down at the table and slowly opened the letter. With careful precision he tore along one edge and pulled out a neatly folded document. I watched his eyes move from left to right a few times and then he looked up and breathed a long deep sigh. A smile formed and he looked at me from across the table.

“I did it. I passed the test.”

“Congratulations Marcel.”

“You know what I’m going to do now?” He placed his elbows on the table, leaned into the sunshine and closed his eyes. “I’m going to celebrate with a nice, cold glass of water.”

“You do that Marcel, you do that.”

*****

Sometimes it really is the simple things in life. A passing grade, a beam of sunshine, a nice, cold glass of water. Thanks Marcel.