If I could change one thing

If my Fairy Godmother suddenly appeared and asked me if I would like to change one thing about my life I would say in all honesty, no..

But if she said I could change something in somebody else’s life, then I would grab the chance with both hands.

In my class at school, there is a small child. They are all small of course but this child is smaller than all of the others.

I’ll call him Tommy although that’s not his real name.

He is quiet, and spends most of his time in thought, staring at the ground, in a world of his own.
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Exactly what goes through Tommy’s mind I don’t know, but I would guess he’s thinking about his Mother.

You see, his Mother is unwell and unable to care for herself. Tommy’s father left long ago, soon after his wife became ill.

While her son is at school, a nurse pops into give her what help she can, but once school is out it’s down to Tommy to tend to her, cook for her and carry out all manner of duties which a child of nine should not even have to think about, let alone do.

From his window Tommy can see his school friends kicking a ball around in the street, or playing tag. But he never complains. He just gets on.

If I could change one thing for him, it wouldn’t be for him to have the advantages I had when I was growing up. It’s not money he needs. He doesn’t need any more love than he gets now from his mother, she couldn’t love him any more than she does.
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No, I wish he could have a normal childhood just like his friends. A childhood where nothing really matters except scoring the winning goal.

But I guess that’s all a dream.
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Based on a true story
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