This week, my youngest child graduated high school. Our years of public and secondary school are now officially behind us. For many years, when my children were small, I volunteered at the school. I helped children with fine motor skills, holding scissors, and pencils the ‘proper’ way, and with literacy, learning and forming letters, sounds and sights, crafts and learning to read. I helped with a reading program, supporting and encouraging kids of all ages, and sometimes I just helped some kids be .. seen, and heard, and loved.
Now, as each of my children have graduated, I have seen nearly the last of those children who sat in little tiny chairs beside me, walk across the stage and gather their diplomas.
The least of what I have learned from these children as well as from my own, is this:
We should never, not ever fail to see the beauty in a child
every child is different
learns differently
absorbs differently
listens differently
presents diferently (or in some cases, not at all)
I am not a teacher
but what I want to say to you
is this
Care
Please care…
every single child
has great strength in them
Care about the words you use
the examples you set
the hearts and minds
you touch
Care about the bruises you may
inflict
on very
tender hearts
intentional
or otherwise
Care about the words
that swirl in their heads
and attach themselves to their
clothes
to their minds
and to their bodies
Care about whether you have
motivated
uplifted
believed in
and touched
one
small soul
Care about our children
every minute
of every day
that you have the power
to influence
their lives
Care about the language
you use
and your actions
Show them your interest
and your appreciation
Each and Every child
needs to be
Recognized
no matter their age
as they all
carry within them
a beautiful
Light
that we should
never
extinguish
See
this
Light
honour it
regardless of how
deeply hidden
and protected it may be
Respect the Beauty
of each
Protect
their Innocence
and Increase
their value
of
themselves
We are all this Light
and we as teachers
as parents
as humans
this
is
Us
we are All
in this
together
and
we
all
deserve
this
Kindness ♥