Holidailies: Appreciation (Part 1)

Today I am guilty of running out and buying a spur of the moment gift for Christmas. I will also admit that I had forgotten to get the girls' ballet teacher anything for the season at all and, while that is not exactly the worst thing ever since not everyone needs to get a gift for everything (see previous post about the "reason for the season") I really feel strongly about letting people know that their work is noticed and appreciated.


As a teacher I know that the appreciation for the time I spend with teenagers pays dividents far in the future. I know that one day a former student will look up and say "Hey I learned that in my high school English class" and that moment when they think back and say, "Huh, I cant believe I remember that." will be my payment. It's not much, but I hang onto the idea that one day it *will* happen. I am not there to witness it but I am mostly OK with that. I dont need more tchkokes anyway.


What is important to me, however, is making sure that the people in my children's lives know just how much we appreciate the efforts that they make and that who they are is helping to mold the future. Now you may be thinking that is a rather grandiose and exaggerated statement, but I can tell you that every person who spends more than 5 mintues with my children is remembered. My children still talk about people they have only met once, in passing. "Hey mom, do you remember that man in the store when I was 2 years old? He gave me some money when we were standing in line. I was shy but he gave me money anyway. Remember him, mom?" Yes. I would rather have her forget that creep but, alas, a mind like an elephant. In any case, it's always the small things that seeem to make the biggest difference. Isnt that always true?


When I was growing up, my parents afforded us a vast amount of opportunities--Chinese school, swimming lessons, music (piano and violin) camps, string orchestras and private tutors, summer camps, Scouts for my brother, and so on. And I have to admit that when was growing up it seemed like the thing to do. I never thought about the lives of the people who taught me, never thought to thank my parents for their perseverance and dedication to driving and paying for supplies and lessons, for taking the time to find out when they ran, and matching up the hectic schedule with everything else that was going on. The extracurricular grind just seemed like an inescapable part of my childhood. It never occured to me that I ought to spare a moment to thank the people who helped to graft onto my soul my love for music, who patiently guided my understanding of water, helped to spark that love of community and sharing. I dont know that my parents intended for me to learn those things, but I did.



I dont know that the things that are the most important parts of life are things that are elucidated. You know what I mean: learning to have a good conversation, learning to appreciate and then, by extension, be appreciated, learning to give back to the community because you recognize just how much the community has given to you, learning how to be a good freind. Those are moments that come with experience and trial by fire. But somewhere, too, someone has been there to show you that experience. Someone has guided you through the turbulent waters and shown you the safe harbour that exists among the jagged rock.



It is important to me, then, that I give my children as many experiences possible. We want them to find something that drives them and inspires them, of course, but more than that I want to show them that you can find amazing people in the most unlikely places. That it is people who make the world go 'round, not things.