Clarissa's School

One day Clarissa was out working in her garden when she saw two dragons approaching, a mom and her teenage daughter.  Clarissa realized that her mountain home had been discovered and she wasn't sure if she was pleased by this or not.  The mom was quick to apologize for their intrusion, but she had a favor to ask of Clarissa.  The mom quickly continued to say that the dragon community wasn't the same since Clarissa had left.  Of course, most of the dragons were happy to see her gone as she'd never fit in as a proper dragon, whatever that was.  But in fact, the younger dragons, especially those who were already being bullied, were very unhappy with her departure.  The mom asked if Clarissa would be willing to mentor some of these younger dragons, to help them find their own path, so that maybe they wouldn't also have to feel they had to leave the community.

Clarissa was touched by the mom's appeal and asked if she might have some time to consider the request.  Clarissa then turned to the daughter, who was a lovely lavender dragon, and asked her what she wanted.  The daughter, Allysa, replied that she was having a hard time in school because she just didn't get math and her teachers all said she was dumb because math was so easy for dragons, and she just hated it.  This made Clarissa angry!  She remembered how she herself had been treated as a child and immediately her heart told her that as much as she enjoyed her isolation and having her own home away from everyone else, that at that same time, she was an excellent teacher and she needed to do what she could to try to ensure that other dragons didn't suffer as she had.

And so Clarissa decided that she would do her best to help.  She told Allysa that she would become her teacher and that if Allysa wished she could study with her in exchange for helping in the garden.  Clarissa went on to tell Allysa's mom that she would open a small school, which would be run as an independent study school for dragons needing a more individualized form of instruction.  The students could do chores and run errands for Clarissa as their tuition.  Classes would be held from 10-2 three days/week as a starting point.  The students would continue to live in the dragon community with their families and the families would have to agree to this change and the parents would be expected to provide a supportive environment.

Allysa and her mom thanked Clarissa and headed back to the dragon community.  Clarissa then sat down, shaking, and wondering what she had gotten herself into!  But as she sat quietly, listening to her heart, she realized that the decision was a good one.  She'd suffered and she'd had to work very hard to find her path, and now, it was time for her to provide an alternate roll model for young dragons who were finding that the traditional path didn't work for them either.  Clarissa realized she needed to walk her talk--she honored diversity and differences and found that all creatures deserved love and compassion and now she had a chance to show that by her actions.  Egads, she realized as she sat there, "It is Friday which means I only have the weekend to get ready before my new school starts!  I'd better finish in my garden and get to work!  What should I prepare for my first lessons?  How many students would show up?"  It was frightening but also exciting!