Cleaning the gutter was easy and mindless but pretty gross. It could be surprising what ended up in there, anything from rotting bird carcasses to old toothbrushes. When they were done with that charming task, they went back to ground level to solder new downspout together. About this time a bell rang inside the school and children poured out the door like seeds from a milkweed pod. Recess!

It didn’t take long for a group of kids to form around Val. She noticed one little girl staring at her intently. Suddenly, the girl smiled widely and exclaimed, “You’re a WOMAN!”

“Yes, I am,” Val replied, having fun.

“That’s great!” the girl yelled. “I’m gonna go tell my friends!” She ran off hollering.

Val was both tickled and touched by the girl’s reaction. Maybe there was hope for the world after all?

The children watched all through recess. Some asked questions while others talked about what they wanted to do when they were adults. The best part of Val’s day, however, was when that one girl ran up and gave her a big hug on the way back to class.

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