Yesterday when listening to the news, I heard the story of a school who is deliberately calling students to the principal’s office. The overhead page comes when the child is least expecting it over a loud speaker summoning the student to the Administrative Offices. As the child gathers a backpack, books, cell phones, etc. I imagine the child is wondering “now what?” All sorts of scenarios are probably playing out in the child’s head as a defense is prepared for the upcoming allegation.
The student is asked to take a seat and the principal begins asking questions such as “How long have you been a student here? Where do you live? What’s your favorite subject?” I imagine by now the student is wondering “what’s the bottom line? The principal finally gets to the punch line. I wanted to tell you that you’re doing a great job. Say whaaaaaaaaat? “Man, I thought for sure you were about to suspend me” says the student. The principal just smiles and replies, “You’re not in trouble. I just wanted to tell you that you are doing a great job and we love having you at the school.” The student listens in disbelief. Why would the principal tell ME this? What have I done to hear these words?
As I heard the story, I smiled. I hear this often when one of the girls is asked to come over and see me. Children are caught off guard when an adult takes the initiative to seek them out. They are floored when the conversation is nothing more than to say “I’m thinking about you.”
We live in a world where it’s easier to complain than it is to say “Thank You.” We have forgotten what it’s like to say “tell me about our day?” and then wait for a response. Twitter has made it easy to tell millions of people that your taco was missing salsa and a link to sign an online petition demanding more oversight at once!
As we roll into the month of November, we are reminded that this is the month to be thankful. For the next 30 days, I challenge you to find one person every single day and simply find a reason to show grace. Pay for a cup of coffee. Hold a door for a stranger. Feed a cat that shows up on your porch. Thank a person working in public service. Being thankful is free and it can put the wheels in motion for making someone’s day just a little bit brighter.
If you find your day has run out and you’ve not been kind, double up tomorrow and try harder. I promise that the act of being kind to another is contagious. Visit our website often to see how to get involved. There’s no better way to give back than to give in, guaranteed!