Small Candles

“In moments of discouragement, defeat, or even despair, there are always certain things to cling to. Little things usually: remembered laughter, the face of a sleeping child, a tree in the wind-in fact, any reminder of something deeply felt or dearly loved. No man is so poor as not to have many of these small candles. When they are lighted, darkness goes away-and a touch of wonder remains.”

- These Small Candles, tombstone inscription in Britain

Small candles from today:

- Hannah asking me if I would walk with her during the jog-a-thon and then later cheering her on to run until she passed the line marking her first mile of the day
- Sr. Ignacia, Fr. John, and parents running in the P.A.C.E. (Parents Are Children's Examples) race to raise money (and enthusiasm) for our school as the children cheered them on in a friendly competition
- Rene volunteering to share his story in class and, after beginning, realizing he couldn't read his own writing ("Hey, I can't even read this.")
- Jogging outside in the 40s temperatures (purely invigorating)
- Students putting forth effort up until the dismissal bell during an afternoon when they were much better suited for a nap

What were your "small candles"?

Yes, we still had our moments when I lost it and reprimanded a few students, but there were less of those times today. In light of the jog-a-thon, I realized that we all do better when someone is there to encourage us and cheer us on. (Face it, the 30 minutes around a 1/16 mile track would not have been anything to brag about had we not had wonderful parents cheering and helping with all of the logistics!) Aren't I that cheerleader (among other roles) in the classroom for each and every child?

What good will it do, then, if I constantly yell at someone, or if I get mad and keep correcting without also (and more often) focusing on the positive? Quite frankly, it won't do any good at all.

It's time to make a change and be more conscious of my words and body language. The whole 3-1 (positives to negatives) from summer camp in Buffalo is coming back to haunt me.

While it will probably be hard to walk around in 25 other pairs of shoes during the school day, at least it will keep my perspective in check (and the view always changing).