JCNT - May 2025 Release - Full Release - Flipbook - Page 58
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sister, Grace, who was 14 at the time, with us as well. Shadow9s parents had
already read the paper, but Shadow and Grace had not yet read it.
First, we spent some time discussing how things were before Shadow had made
these changes in his life. The family shared details of their experience and the
steps they had taken, going back to when Shadow was in 3rd grade. They shared
details of Shadow9s suspensions and isolation at school. Below are summaries
from Shadow and his mother.
Mom: One of the days he ran out of class I came to pick him up and they said to
keep him home the next day. That was the first time he got suspended.
Another time they had me keep him home for a week. Then the next week
they said to keep him another, and then another, and it went on like that
until the end of the school year. It got to this point where anything that
happened was seen as his fault. Teachers and staff were seeing his
progress, but he still had this reputation. This past school year, they started
to realize when other kids were causing issues, not just Shadow.
Shadow: Back then I wasn9t allowed to do recess for two months straight and had
to eat lunch by myself. I was so sick of it, but it was also normal for me at
that point. Then I got to do lunch and recess again and now it9s all
unsupervised.
I then asked the family what had happened after reading the newspaper article
about The Boy Who Acted Out of Heart. They had told me they had shared the
article with extended family, but I was curious to hear what effects the article
might have had.
Mom: We shared it with his grandma, his teacher, and my sisters. They see it in
him too, that he9s growing up. They9re so proud. His grandma got tearyeyed.
Dad: My mom was so happy. And I was talking with my brother-in-law this
weekend and he was saying how much Shadow has grown up.
The Boy Who Acted Out of Heart
Journal of Contemporary Narrative Therapy, May2025 Release, p. 29-62.
www.journalnft.com
