Day 1198 -- Wowed

Today I was wowed by one of my students.

It all started last Friday afternoon, when he approached me at the end of the day.  He wanted to do his speech as a senior for the Academic Celebration on"Choose Kind."  He asked me for some advice and/or examples on how to best deliver his message.

My heart swelled in pride for this amazing young man, who not only read RJ Palacio's book, but who I believe chooses kind on a daily basis and is one of the most outstanding student I've had the opportunity to teach.

But this swell was minor compared to the gut punching (in a good way) I felt Sunday as I sat on stage at the Academic Celebration.  I discreetly (I hope) wiped away tears as he talked about ways that he had been chosen kindness and how kindness could change the face of Western High School.

I was wowed.

Today, before the end of the day he walked into my room.  He gave me a copy of the speech he wrote and gave me a hug.  I told him how amazingly proud of him I was.  And then there was this:



I am humbled and touched by this and it just reinforces to me the power of the "Choose Kind" message.  The world needs to hear it and keep on hearing it.  And I need to live it.  I feel blessed for that affirmation today.

Thank God I was wowed!

Lord, thank you for the overwhelming warm fuzzies you've given me through this young man.  Thank you for his bravery, thank you for for his strength.  In your name I pray, Amen.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Day 162 -- "Showing Us the Way"

Image
One of my favorite things about the spring is the baccalaureate celebration that takes place the week before graduation.  I love the chance to see my seniors in their caps and gowns and to praise God for their arrival to the finish line.  For every year since I can remember, I've listened to Western's Select Choir perform the song "Showing Us the Way" by Michael V. Ficocelli.  When I was a senior, I even got to sing it at my own baccalaureate.  That year, and every year since I have taught at Western, I get choked up listening to the perfectly fitting lyrics of this song.  Tonight, on a perfect evening at the Cascades Falls, tears ran down my face as I watched the seniors I taught sing the words of this song to their classmates, parents, teachers, and friends.  I smiled and cried a little more as I realized that someday there's a good chance I'll be watching my own kids sing it at their baccalaureate. I had to share it with you.  This isn't Western's
Read more

We Dance...and We Sing...When We Play the Drum!

Let it be known that my son gets his money's worth out of his toys. Or, in this case, someone else's money's worth. Whatever. You know what I mean. The toys that he likes, he really, really likes. He uses them a lot for a long time. This particular toy is a drum that was given to him by our friends, The Tappans, at his FIRST birthday party. Needless to say, tonight he was REALLY enjoying his gift.
Read more

Day 80 -- Calvin and Hobbes

Image
When I was in junior high and high school, I used to read the anthologies of several comic strips, including Garfield, Fox Trot, The Far Side, and Calvin and Hobbes.  I remember reading them by the light of my bedside lamp, trying to stifle my giggles so that my parents wouldn't come bust me for staying up too late reading (the horror!). Calvin and Hobbes, especially, resonated with my sense of humor.  I found the strip simultaneously witty, funny, thought-provoking and perceptive.  I collected all of the anthologies, but somewhere between then and now, I either lost them or gave them away.  I told my husband about my tendency to read them from cover to cover, and how I was sad that I no longer had them.  Not too surprisingly, for Christmas, I received The Calvin and Hobbes Tenth Anniversary Book from Santa. I have been slowly working my way through the book, and tonight I was reminded of Calvin's finicky eating habits and of his gift for creating macabre snowman art.  I w
Read more