Another school year has come to an end, and I think I have learned something very, very important. Although I definitely have views on education and the education system as a whole here in America, I want to focus on one particular aspect. It seems to me, from a very personal viewpoint, that we are trying to “protect” our children from all the evils and harsh realities that we believe are all around us. We can’t. Most simply stated, as parents, as educators, as those who care deeply about the youth in our nation, we can not protect them from all the evils, ills, and dangers that inhabit every corner of the world in which we all live currently.
This is sobering, to say the least. What we can do though is teach our children the skills and abilities to handle ALL that life will throw at them, because LIFE will get to each of us, no matter how protected. I work with some youngsters that have been brutalized by life at a very young age, and the most important thing I have learned is if you can somehow create CONFIDENCE… confidence in themselves AND confidence in you and those that care for them, each one of these kids is capable of AMAZING things!
I CAN NOT protect these kids. Life gets to them in some pretty harsh ways. But I CAN help them soar, even if their wings and bodies and minds and spirits have been bruised and battered. No matter one’s past, I “teach” confidence. Confidence to soar, to rise above, to move past what once was and move toward the life they deserve.
This school year… what did I learn? These kids need me and I need them. One of the most beautiful lessons ever!
A Grateful Life 