a lovely nested at home yesterday. with fever-ish congestion. but as quickly as her fever appeared, it disappeared. and because she has never been enthusiastic about returning to school after such reprieve, i braced myself for morning tears.
except. when i woke her up, she checked her own temperature. and realizing there was no fever, she assumed the school day routine.
on our walk over to school, i told her how proud i was of her because she moved into the morning without the slightest complaint.
she looked up at me, beaming.
"thank you. that makes me happy i made you so proud."
it just about crushed me.
with the rigor and routine of school, it is just so easy to be constantly pushing curriculum and expectations and conformity.
taming their wild imaginations once they are home free from the classroom environment so they listen. do your homework. clean up your mess. get in the shower. pull together your things for tomorrow. go to sleep.
as we adjust to the new year, i'll admit that is what they hear waaaaaaay more than the breadth of a sincerely felt and sincerely spoken compliment.
which is why her meek voice and pure joy arrested me.
so.
do me a favor today, okay? offer someone -- anyone -- a kind word. you just never know how it might be the very thing that makes their whole day.
and i will continue to do the same here.
xo
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