Every once in a while, there is a blue light

Last night, we were invited to an awards ceremony at Jason's middle school.  We did not know what award Jason was getting, although we had our suspicions about what it could be.  We were there, along with my parents.  Before I get into what Jason got, I have to first mention that several of Jason's classmates won awards as well.  While each and every one of them is special and impressive in their achievements, one in particular stood out. 

Every single time that his name was called, the whole auditorium clapped like crazy.  (We all clapped for every child, and the principal even mentioned that at the end, how we had been so supportive of all of the children, but the applause for this kid was different)  Some parents were even brought to tears.  The reason for this, is because this particular child is mentally handicapped and wheelchair bound.  He happens to ride on Jason's bus and waves hello to me every day when Jason is picked up in the morning.  He's a great kid, and tonight, he showed an auditorium full of parents and schoolmates to look past the wheelchair and the physical deficiencies to a child whose brain was as bright and intelligent as anyone else's. 

As for Jason, he walked away with not one, not two, but THREE awards.  The first was a certificate for Outstanding Achievement in Social Studies.  The second was a certificate for the President's Award for Excellence, presented by the President's Education Awards Program for Outstanding Academic Excellence.  The last was a trophy for getting straight A's on his report card for all eight marking periods that he has been in middle school (6th and 7th grades).  There were a lot of high fives, hugging, kisses from mom and grandma, and grandma shed more than a few tears also.  Nights like that help soften the memories of other nights that you would much rather forget.  On nights like this, the blue light shines very bright indeed.