This afternoon as I was standing in the checkout line of our local Food Lion grocery store, I heard a sweet voice call out my name.
“Mrs. Letter! Mrs. Letter!”
I turned my head to see a young girl grinning from ear to ear, her arms already outstretched for the hug she knew would come. I stepped to the side and embraced her; her delight in recognizing me almost overwhelming us both. Her two siblings came near, and I wrapped my arms around them as well.
“Mommy, this is Mrs. Letter. She was my kindness teacher!”
The mom smiled at her daughter, then smiled back at me as she said the most wonderful words I had heard all day.
“I know.”
She knows.
Her mom knows my name.
She knows I am her daughter’s “kindness teacher.”
Maybe there have been discussions at the dinner table of the lessons we shared. Perhaps her daughter retold one of our kindness stories or maybe they did some acts of kindness together, sparked by our kindness challenges throughout the year.
Even though I have never met her mom, and don’t teach her child’s class on a regular basis, she knows who I am and what I’m all about.
That’s the power of teaching with passion. No matter your role or title, you have the power each and every day to impact the life of a child in a positive way. In fact, you can make such a difference that a child will remember your name long after you have touched their life.
Be you with every ounce of passion, love, and exuberance you can share. Because one day there might be a little girl who shouts your name from across a grocery store, introduces you to her mom, and completely makes your day.
Subscribe
