Jonathan was very stressed as he had just moved to our community and did not know very many of the other children.

Jonathan was in tears and very shy as he entered the classroom. I introduced him to the other children and they tried very hard to welcome him to our class. The little fellow said nothing. He was so very scared and so upset. He just cried.

Putting the other children to work, I held Jonathan in my lap at my desk to comfort him. He was inconsolable at this time, so I just held him close to me and continued to teach. Jonathan's arms were around my neck. His tearful face was on my cheek, which was now also wet with tears...Jonathan's and mine. My heart so hurt for this child.

As I was teaching and Jonathan was sobbing quietly, Méav Ni Mhaolchatha, our Irish angel, was softly singing from our "Méav music box" in the back of the classroom. Méav, as she did every day, was singing all of her favorite songs into the hearts of all of my second graders.

Jonathan began to quietly listen. He just loved Méav's music.

A week of tears and sadness passed and Jonathan was beginning to be very comforted by Méavs beautiful, soothing, calming voice. Jonathan's tears finally stopped as he began to get used to being in our class and as he listened to Méav sing to him. He began to be the first child in our classroom early every morning.

Jonathan would go directly to the Méav music box and choose his favorite Méav song to begin our day. He and his friend, Kody, would choose all of the Méav songs for that day and make sure that they were on the Méav music box. Always beginning with Méav's "Greensleeves", Jonathan's favorite. And then on to "When Irish Eyes Are Smiling", Kody's favorite. Next would always be "Danny Boy", then "The Waves of Tory", Please Remember Me..." ("Dante's Prayer"), "The Last Rose of Summer", "I Dreamt I Dwelt in Marble Halls", and on and on and on. Always ending up with Celtic Woman's "Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring", lovingly called Méav's "Ah Ah Ah Ah song," and "You Raise Me Up", "Silent Night", and so on.....to "Close to Me" and the "Other Danny Boy Through Irish" ("Morning in Bearra") as the children called it. And Méav's Irish lullabies on "Codail, A Mhuirnin" were also played every day. How our class loved their Méav. But, oh, it was Jonathan who so adored Meav.

Jonathan was having trouble academically with reading. So in March, I began to keep him for a couple of hours after school each day to work with him and help him with his reading. To give Jonathan a little break each afternoon, he and I would eat a few cookies and have some chocolate milk, listen to Méav and look at some of her pictures. This was very soothing to Jonathan. He so missed his mother, and Méav seemed to comfort his little hurting heart. So one day, I asked if he would like to e-mail Méav. He was just thrilled...so excited. So, of course, all of the children wanted to "talk" to their Méav.

Méav had already e-mailed and "talked" to the children on her forum, thanking them for their "Méav Christmas Tree" and for all her Valentines. She had also e-mailed them to our school account. So I e-mailed and asked if she minded that each child wrote to her. She so very graciously agreed to this. And in return, she e-mailed each child a beautiful message, answering all of their little questions. This is Méav....just Méav....loving the children!

Thus, Jonathan began to e-mail Méav and "talk to her" and she so lovingly e-mailed him back. Jonathan shared every loving thought he had with Méav. He just "talked to Méav".

Oh-h-h, what a comfort Méav was to this precious little fellow right up until the day that he left us to go back to live with his mom. Jonathan had become the happiest little boy in our classroom, smiling and enjoying every minute of every day. Méav had made this child so securely, lovingly, happy....totally comforted!!

Jonathan left us on a Tuesday morning, in June. He "talked" to Méav for two days before he left. I typed his little words and thoughts just as he wanted them said. Méav e-mailed me early that very morning with a beautiful message for Jonathan to take with him, along with all of his little Méav treasures -- some which Méav had sent herself, and some which I had bought for him. I had gotten him an MP3 player. All of Méav's music and interviews had been put on it for him by two of his very dear friends. I laminated all of his e-mail messages from Méav and put pictures with each message, then put them into zip-lock bags to keep them nice. He had all of Méav's CDs and the Celtic Woman DVDs to also take with him. He had chosen about 12 favorite Méav pictures, and they, too, were in zip-lock bags and in his backpack to take with him on the airplane.

Wearing his little blue "Follow Your Dreams....Love....Méav" bracelet which Méav had sent to each child, and carrying his MP3 player with his earphones in his ears, backpack on his back, he waved to me, saying:

"Please tell Méav to 'remember me'.
I'll see you and Méav again someday, Mrs. Harlow.

I love you.
I love you.
I love Méav, too! Tell her, please!
Tell her to 'please remember me'!"

And Jonathan was gone.

Méav and I have no idea when we will ever hear from this adorable, precious little fellow again. But Jonathan has his Méav with him to comfort and love him. The beautiful memories will always be in his heart. No one can ever, ever take those memories away from him.

This story was written with the permission of Méav. Méav so graciously reviewed and accepted the story as written. This is Méav's story of love with this special little boy named Jonathan.
*Names have been changed.