We celebrated my daughter’s birthday in her kindergarten classroom today.
She got to be the star of the group and we were invited to sit in and to tell about her life. The children sat quietly and my daughter beamed with pride.
They sang songs. She shared rice krispie treats and made a wish.
It took fifteen minutes of class time. (Fifteen minutes of class time at the busiest time of the year when teachers really can’t afford to schedule in these kinds of events…. even for a birthday.)
That’s the catch to this story and the thought for today.
Actually, it wasn’t her birthday. Not even close. Her birthday falls during a time when school isn’t in session. She wouldn’t have been able to have this celebration in her classroom.
However, when I initially told the teacher that she had been mentioning her 'classroom celebration’, it was my suggestion that maybe I should just distract her thoughts onto something else. It would be fine, I told her, to explain to my five year old that kids with summer birthdays just don’t do in school celebrations.
Without hesitation, the teacher’s response was, ‘If this is important to her, and I think it is, we’ll find some time. How does first thing Wednesday morning sound to you?’
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It took fifteen minutes. It made a lasting impression on my child.
In fifteen minute’s time, this woman provided my child with a lifetime memory, gave her a moment to shine, provided a place where she could feel important, and reminded her that she was indeed a very special five year old.
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I’ve thought about it all day. Fifteen minutes is a segment of time that we all have each day. What if we all did what this woman did and graciously and excitedly use some of our time to make another person feel special?
~K
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