Just a little life lesson I learned a couple of weeks ago, courtesy of one of my boys. It's a story he told me about one of his patients, and she gave him permission to tell me about it.
The very first year we moved here in 1990, and if you're counting that's 29 years ago, my son Eric had an amazing teacher. You know how it is when you have children in school. You encounter the good, the bad, and the ugly when it comes to teachers. There's an infinite cross-section of personalities and teaching styles, and when you have 6 children as I did, you see a lot of them. Occasionally, you'll come across a teacher that's just so wonderful....one that really wants to be there improving the little mush minds of kids....one that really turns the lights on inside those little brains and inspires creative thought, or helps slog through things a child might struggle with.....one that turns themselves inside out to pull the last little bit of excellence out of a kiddo. In my experience those truly superior teachers are few and far between, but my children have had a few.
So one of those teachers, now retired, came to see my son Evan and asked if she could show him something. She said she had cleared out a lot of her old teaching things, but she wasn't quite ready to part with everything. And then she handed him this card, and gave him permission to take a picture of it and send it to me.
It's written on a 3x5 index card. Nothing fancy, but she's kept it for nearly 30 years.
Now the point I want to make here isn't that I write a gushingly awesome thank you note that makes one want to treasure it forever because really, this one is pretty short and sweet. The point is, a little gratitude goes a long way. People want to be valued and appreciated for what they do. You might say that a wonderful teacher is just doing the job they're paid to do, and that's true up to a point. But can you put a price on the success and growth you or your child experiences through that extra effort on their part? You might say that someone who does something for you over and over again just does it because they're family, or a good friend, and that's what family/friends do for one another. Yes, but if you express appreciation for those things, whether it's the big things like help achieving a life-long goal like your profession, right down to the gerbil jobs like meals and laundry, how likely is it that help will continue and not be given grudgingly? Someone might even be assigned to help or serve you in some capacity, and you could say they're just fulfilling that assignment. OK, but when someone brings balloons and a popsicle, or a book to read and toys for your grandchildren to play with when you've had surgery on your leg and then you fall and break your arm, doesn't that lift your burden some? By the way, these are all real-world examples....
What I'm saying is when you are grateful not just in your head, but you express that gratitude or caring in one way or another, you can change a person's whole day. You can even change a person's whole life. I'm thinking of my sweet friend Irene. Her expressions of gratitude and love toward me made me want to be like her. I miss Irene's presence in my life every day. I ran into her daughter and granddaughter recently. They've moved to a different state, but we still shared tender memories that involved roses and weeds. It doesn't have to be a huge deal...it was an index card for heaven's sake, but sincere expressions of appreciation bless the lives of others, and they impact your life in ways that might not be realized for years.
Now I have to confess, that my ability to do this all the time ebbs and flows. It's much easier to look at life from the "I'm carrying a heavy load" side of things, and my year has been so frantic that I'm afraid I've been carrying that boulder on my back for a while now. I've needed this refresher and I'm grateful to my boy who had the thought and took the time to text me a picture from his phone. It brought Irene's attitude back into focus for me and I'm grateful for that, too.
Cultivate an attitude of gratitude and see how it changes your perspective.
Such a sweet note and sounds just like you!
Posted by: Pam | August 07, 2019 at 06:51 AM
I wish I had your way with words. And yes, everyone wants to feel appreciated even for the tiniest of things. It's always nice when someone acknowledges that. It sounds like she not only made an impression on Evan but you also made an impression on her.
Posted by: Julie Peddicord | August 07, 2019 at 06:54 AM
I love this....
Posted by: Heidi | August 07, 2019 at 07:31 AM
Great life lessons, mom.
Posted by: SD Boy | August 07, 2019 at 08:53 AM
Again - thank you for sharing! Hugs!
Posted by: JoyceD | August 07, 2019 at 09:17 AM
Such a great reminder. I love this!!
Posted by: Rachelle | August 07, 2019 at 10:46 AM
Pretty awesome. Is that my 2nd grade teacher? She was the best. One of my all-time fav's
Posted by: AP Man | August 07, 2019 at 02:33 PM
I love you Catherine. I’ve not been regular in sending cards, etc but I hope you have always felt my sincere love and gratitude to you and Scott for everything you do and for just being you. You have blessed my life since you first came into it and I will never ever forget your visits to me in the hospital when Scott was on a mission and I was in traction. You are a beautiful light in this world.
Posted by: Marian | August 07, 2019 at 08:12 PM