One Small Act

 

In this world that seems more divided than ever.

In this world where headlines scream more about the bad than the good.

Where stories of goodness and kindness seem so far and few in between.

Where we read of suicide caused by bullying, of children that feel so lonely.  Of adults who are not sure where they fit in so they stop trying altogether.

In this world where wherever we turn we seem to be reminded of all that is wrong with the world, we need our classrooms more than ever.

We need spaces where kids feel that they belong, feel that they the prevalent voice is one of kindness, not of tearing apart.

We need opportunities to make the world smaller, more understanding, more of all of the good.

Today, in our classroom, as a child stood frozen in fear of public speaking, another child got up quietly and stood right beside him.  Stood there and coached him gently, let his presence be known and tried to speak him out of his fear.  I stood there with tears prickling my eyes, knowing that no one had told that child that to be a friend meant to stand beside someone, to be a friend meant to be there in times when we might not seem as needed.

As the rest of the class sat quietly, we moved on to another thing.  But this moment of a simple act of kindness is one that I will remember for a long time.

This world may seem like it is slowly self-destructing, but our kids, our future, they can still change it; one small act of kindness at a time.