Thankfulness: Day 1 (Compassion & Kindness)

It's a common trend to use the month of November as a reflective time of thankfulness. While it is so very important to be thankful all throughout the year, it is nice to purposefully acknowledge the blessings that we have. I have decided to do a blog post each day of November to share 30 of the things/people/ideas/emotions that I am most thankful for. The things I choose each day will in no way be in any particular order. Some may be serious and thought provoking while others may be something silly and fun. So here we go...

November 1, Day 1: Compassion & Kindness

A little bit of kindness goes a long way. Over the summer I was asked to share my favorite part of my job. My response was that moment when I see students show kindness to each other on their own, with no expectation of a reward; when they come to a point of inner compassion toward others with no gain for themselves. Teaching 5-year-olds, this isn't a common thing to see happen. They are quite egocentric at this age; however, their desire to please and be accepted allows an open heart toward others.

I have been blessed this year with a very, very sweet group of children. Yes, we have our good days and bad and a few quirks here and there, but overall they are a loving, fun, sweet, smart, thoughtful little group of kids. This week has definitely proved that. I shared a map with my students at the beginning of the week to show them the weather changes that were coming. I talked about the hurricane and the effects it would have on many people's lives. We do not live close to where it hit, and I overemphasized that to them (to prevent fears). I explained how there would be a lot of wind and rain that could ruin people's homes and schools.

One little girl was really listening. She went home and told her parents that she was worried about the kids stuck in the storm. She wanted to help them. They asked her what she wanted to do, and she wanted to send them candy for trick-or-treating. Her parents fulfilled her request and sent bags of candy to Red Cross shelters in West Virginia (victims of the blizzard) so that the children there could celebrate Halloween. I. Love. This. Her dad sent me a picture tweeted by the Red Cross. These are some kids who received the candy that she sent.

This small act of kindness really brightened my mood. I'm thankful for the lessons that compassion and kindness can teach us. I'm thankful for the reminder from a 5-year-old of the importance to put others before ourselves. I'm thankful to have the chance to show kindness to children and teach them the importance of paying it forward. I'm also thankful for kind words from others. A simple little word of encouragement can make me feel on top of the world.

I'm thankful for the compassion and kindness that has been shown to me.

Colossians 3:12 - "Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience."