'Tis The Season

Tis the season for giving and right now my heart is overflowing with the kindness I see around me. So...I thought I would share!

1. At my school we have been filling back packs with supplies for families in need that will be sent to our local shelters. I put it out to my staff and was not surprised to see the overwhelming response to help! For the past 3 weeks we have been collecting and today was the day that we gathered everything together to load up and ship out. 

Walking in to the staffroom and seeing how our teachers, our community, our families had come together with such generosity brought tears to my eyes. There was a table of 40 backpacks barely able to be zipped shut as well as an equal number of bags for the "overflow". I feel so lucky to be a part of a staff and community who are so caring and kind. Such a simple thing.

2. Tonight I was volunteering at the Food Bank where I give tours and run an activity to groups of kids coming through to learn more. Tonight was a hockey team. 14 boys all about 9 years old and FULL of energy. My job tonight was to run the activity where we sort some food and make Food Hampers (a box of food that could get a family through 2-3 days). The boys were competitive and excited and loud. They completed the activity and did a great job. 

Then I do a wrap up and talk about who needs Food Hampers? How would you get one? How would you feel if you had to ask for help? If you had no money to buy food? The room goes silent. A few hands go up with answers like sad, bad, lonely and scared. Such simple answers but so exactly right on from these 9 year old boys. One boy said he might be scared to ask for help. A discussion started about needing help and asking for help and how that is truly a strong thing to be able to do that. I told them that everyone...every single person...will need to ask for help at some point in their lives and that we are surrounded by people who can help. One last boy put up his hand and quietly said "Kinda like I need help in Math sometimes?" A few boys laughed and I said, "It is like that...because now you can think about how you feel when you are embarrassed to ask for help in math when you think of people needing to ask for food." The laughter stopped. 

Even if just one of those boys goes away with a little more empathy then when he came in...my night was more than worth it.

3. And of course our school and its connection with the Retirement home next door is an on going sense of happiness for me. Glee @ Heart sang at the School Board Inaugural meeting this week. As always I can barely contain how proud I am and how touched I feel when watching and listening to this choir sing. I just feel like our connection is so special and I try to foster it whenever I can! 

We also have residents come to read to some of our primary classes once a month. Another experience I just LOVE to be a part of. Today was the day for December! The residents get such joy out of being around the kids and reading to them and talking with them. The kids get such an amazing opportunity to know the residents.  To learn about respect and understanding when the person reading can't show the pages because it is too tricky, or when they are hard to hear, or when the residents want to hold their hands. What child shouldn't be exposed to that kind of experience!?!

And again...talk about pride...even our Kindergartens can sit through 2 books read back to back in silence. Listening and being respectful. Smiling and giving hugs and high fives. It truly warms my heart.

4. And then there are the things that happen right in my own house...that are so small they might go unnoticed but when they are noticed they are a gift.

Today we were playing in the playroom in the morning and it was still dark. Laiklyn (2) went to try to turn on the light (one of those circle dimmer switches that you have to press in). She so wants to be able to reach it like Dayaa (3) can, and she is getting close, but her little finger tips just barely touch. She doesn't have the strength to push the button with just her finger tips. So here Laiklyn is, right up on her tip toes trying to make herself as tall as she can and trying with all her might. Getting frustrated and a little teary. And then Dayaa comes over to her says in the cutest little motivating, positive voice, "Laiklyn, what if I put my hand on the light and you can push my hand?" She reaches her little hand up and places it flat over the light switch. Laiklyn, up on her tip toes again, reaches up and as she grunts and pushes with her fingertips, Dayaa gives an imperceptible little push too. And TA DA!!! The light come on! Dayaa says "You did it Laiklyn!" Laiklyn's smile filled the room and the sight of my girls filled my heart!

I could go on forever...but you get the idea!!!