Potential Awesomeness

Tonight I had the opportunity to go to our local high schools choir dinner - an event I very much enjoy! The kids, as usual, did spectacular with their solos and small group performances, and the choirs sounded amazing. 

My favorite part of any such event, however, is spotting "my kids" - those I had in my 4th grade class or shared the 4th grade hallways with - and being amazed at how far they've come. 

I am always in awe of the high schoolers. It takes guts to get up on stage and sing infront of a crowd. It takes confidence to play on a court or march on a  field infront of a whole lot of spectators. It takes courage to perform or act or speak in front of a  room full of onlookers. 

What's more, it takes dedication to prepare for those moments. It takes effort and passion and determination and time - so much time. It takes coachability and hours practicing. It takes sacrifice and putting you self out there. 

And it isn't always the kids "I would have guessed" who pull all of those pieces together.

Oh sure, sometimes by 4th grade I can speculate "Well, that kid is going to be an awesome _______ someday!" But other times? Other times the high schooler who belts out a solo was a quiet 4th grader and the basketball starter sat the bench a lot on the 4th grade team. Sometimes the stand out speaker didn't love the spotlight in 4th grade and the confident high schooler was a 4th grader who hadn't quite found their voice yet. 

Those kids remind me of how important it is to see the possible potential in each student ... And how much more important it is to help each student see that there is potential in themselves. 

It's fun to encourage the passion of a 4th grader whose already found it. It's even more fun to help them find that they may have more than one passion. And oh my goodness, how rewarding to help the student who hasn't found an passion yet realize that there is one out there for them, too. 

Each kiddo that crosses my path has endless possibilities ahead of them. They will shine a million different ways, and it is a special thing when I get to catch a glimpse. 

May we always see the potential for greatness in each kiddo, and help them see it too .... For when they find it and persue it, how wonderful for all!

Somebody's Veteran

This year I had the privilege to help pull together a Veterans Day celebration for our elementary school. We had stations all over the gym ran by some of our student leaders for the other kids to enjoy. Everything form thank you cards to trivia to craft projects were present, but also present were some very kind soldiers from a nearby Fort. They had driven down to spend their day with us, with our kids ... and it was awesome. ALL of the students enjoyed seeing the soldiers, visiting with, and interacting with the soldiers. However, the Junior Beta students who spent the entire day in the gym got a few extra minutes in between the groups of visitors.

I very much enjoyed watching the soldiers visit with our kids. One taught them about the fallen soldier memorial we had set up in the gym. One quizzed them on the American flag facts at the flag trivia station. Several colored thank you cards for veterans while they visited with our kids. 

And, when I took the kids outside for a 10 min recess (because being big kid helpers all day is just flat out exhausting), every single soldier came outside to play with the kids. 

As much as I enjoyed watching the kids interact with the soldiers inside the gym, *oh my heart * when those kids excitedly begged the soldiers to play basketball with them. Everyone laughed and smiled and enjoyed that 10 minute pick up game.

I know for a fact that when the kids went home and were sharing about their day "the soldiers played basketball with us" was one of the first things mentioned ... because I'd had a front row seat to the whole thing and the kids still made sure to tell me at least 10 times. ;)

A simple game of basketball shouldn't be that big of a deal - but the kids were so amazed that it had happened. 

I think sometimes we throw the world "soldier" around in such a way that makes it seem like a separate species to kids. Actually, I wouldn't argue - I'd say soldier does require a special species of people. But what my kids got to see this Veterans Day is that soldiers are just people. People who even play basketball.

Later this year when I teach them about the American Revolution, I will spend a lot of breath remind them that all of the soldiers who fought - on both sides - were just people. People who would have played basketball with them. Each year as they learn about different wars, as they grow and understand more about these wars in our history and the current issues of our world, I hope they can remember these soldiers who were just so kind to them, so *real* to them. These soldiers who were real people.

When we came in from that short recess and a few of my students were headed back to class, one of the sweet kiddos said "Ya know, Mrs. Moreland, I liked talking to those soldiers today. I never really thought about how they are all just regular somebodies. And they were good at ball too!"

All just regular somebodies.

Somebody's daughter, somebody's son. Somebody's brother or sister. Somebody's dad. Somebody's mom. Somebody's precious grand-somebody. Somebody's friend.

Somebodies who signed up for a job that requires them to give so much of themselves every day and live ready to give all of themselves. Somebodies whose career takes them away from family, away from their comfort zones (and even all traces of comfort at times). Somebodies who are willing to do that for the rest of us somebodies who are here at home. 

Somebodies who are real heroes on the daily.

But, yes, just regular somebodies.

And I sure hope that as these kids grow, as they learn more and understand more, as they get to vote on things that impact our country and our soldiers, they always remember these awesome soldier "somebodies' who in that moment they realized were just regular people, just making the choice to be awesome every day.

Thank you to all the somebodies who took on the soldier's pledge. Who served, or are serving, our country. Thank you to all of the somebody's somebodies who are heroes on the daily for the rest of us.

An Action Word

This week has been nuts, and as I finally found time to look at my daily quote calendar today , it was the perfect reminder of the thoughts I'd written down after a Bible class a couple of weeks ago. 

Seek is an action word. 

Getting caught up in the world, in the busy, in the negative .... All that seems to happen passively. 

It doesn't take much action for me to grumble about the hard stuff, to dwell on the stress, and to wallow in the problems. 

It's finding the solutions that takes action. 

It's searching out the good - rainbows and stars - that takes effort.

It's finding ways to cope, prioritize, and move through the stressful times that takes focus. 

And, it's certainly drawing closer to God through this crazy world that requires a dedicated seeker. 

So here's to putting seek into action. 

Seek out the good in people and in situations. Seek out the solutions, and the ways to help. Seek out Heaven, and God, and time to study and draw closer to Him. 

Seek is an action word - so take action.