When I go home for Thanksgiving, I always bring back some cotton for the kids in my classroom. Many have never seen cotton before. We pull it out of the hull, pick out the seeds and trash, and then work it like taffy until it is as fluffy as a cotton ball.

"Johnny" is a student from last year. He struggles in school. His home life is tougher than all ours put together. Unfortunately, his future will be just as challenging. He tells me he is going to plant the seeds and grow his own cotton. Okay I say with encouragement, as many were saying that. But he would bring up the cotton several times through out the year. When school started this year, "Johnny" told me his cotton grew. I gave him a congratulatory hug and told him that was great as he went off with his new teacher.

Now it is the last day of school before Christmas break. A woman walks in carry a gift bag. She tells me she is "Johnny's" grandmother. She tells me how he did plant those seeds. He watered them faithfully, and he pulled the weeds that grew around the plants. When the bolls opened, he picked the cotton by hand. After school each day he would sit and pull out the trash and seeds. He worked the cotton until it was clean and fluffy. He collected a gallon bag full of clean, white cotton. She said he wanted to make me something from the cotton and wouldn't let anyone help. Finally after trying for many days, and unsuccessfully getting the cotton to "stick together", he finally asked for help. So with the help of some Styrofoam balls for support, this is what he created.