My passion has always been interacting with children; I’ve been a teacher, mentor, and. most recently, the resident “Story Auntie” at a private school in India and I have long recognized the tremendous value and potential of investing in the lives of children. I’ve been a seed planter: sometimes seeds of knowledge, curiosity, or a love of reading, but always and, more importantly, seeds of love, affirmation, encouragement, acceptance, empathy, and relationship. Because, as any gardener or farmer will tell you, just planting is not enough: I must also be a nurturer, fertilizing and watering those precious seeds in the hope that they will grow and produce healthy, happy, caring, and productive adults.
Sometimes, years later, I’ve been blessed to learn that the seeds have produced the intended fruit and I am encouraged. Too often, children moved on and I never learned how the seeds grew- or didn’t; I wonder about all the at-risk kiddos who abruptly left school, to relocate with their families in another place…again. Sometimes the seeds encounter obstacles, lying dormant only to spring to life well past their expected gestation timeline- and I am pleasantly surprised. And, unfortunately, some seeds produce blighted, unhealthy fruit and this is a tragedy. I am reminded of the parable of the sower- not a 100% success rate, but that didn’t keep the sower from continuing to do his job.
I remember a first-grade student I had in class more than 40 years ago. Syd was everything a teacher could want in a student. She was bright, an achiever, friendly, happy, helpful, kind, and everyone liked her, at the top of her class in every subject and in every way. I remember meeting her Dad at conference time, and as I reported on her excellent progress and position at the top of the class, he strangely pushed back, questioning my assessment and judgment- was she really that good? It made me wonder just how much nurturing she received at home? Because life isn’t fair, bad things happen to good people, and some seeds die, I was saddened to hear news about Syd several years later. Syd, who had the potential to become an outstanding woman, destined to accomplish great things, was killed with her family in a private plane crash. I am filled with sadness at the memory, but I have continued to plant seeds whenever and wherever I can...because it is important work.
— cmshingle
Sometimes, years later, I’ve been blessed to learn that the seeds have produced the intended fruit and I am encouraged. Too often, children moved on and I never learned how the seeds grew- or didn’t; I wonder about all the at-risk kiddos who abruptly left school, to relocate with their families in another place…again. Sometimes the seeds encounter obstacles, lying dormant only to spring to life well past their expected gestation timeline- and I am pleasantly surprised. And, unfortunately, some seeds produce blighted, unhealthy fruit and this is a tragedy. I am reminded of the parable of the sower- not a 100% success rate, but that didn’t keep the sower from continuing to do his job.
I remember a first-grade student I had in class more than 40 years ago. Syd was everything a teacher could want in a student. She was bright, an achiever, friendly, happy, helpful, kind, and everyone liked her, at the top of her class in every subject and in every way. I remember meeting her Dad at conference time, and as I reported on her excellent progress and position at the top of the class, he strangely pushed back, questioning my assessment and judgment- was she really that good? It made me wonder just how much nurturing she received at home? Because life isn’t fair, bad things happen to good people, and some seeds die, I was saddened to hear news about Syd several years later. Syd, who had the potential to become an outstanding woman, destined to accomplish great things, was killed with her family in a private plane crash. I am filled with sadness at the memory, but I have continued to plant seeds whenever and wherever I can...because it is important work.
— cmshingle
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