A Special Gift

Last Friday evening, CBS had a segment on the news that covered the life of an Oregon man who had given much of his time, talents, and treasures to the people in his small town.  They, it turn, were in the process of fixing his house, cutting and splitting his firewood supply for the winter, patching up his barn, bringing him meals, and making him a special gift made of wood that he could use.  Why were the townspeople doing all this?  They were paying him back for all of the generosity that he had shown to them over the years with their time, talents, and treasures including the special wooden gift. This man suffers from a disease that he is slowly dying from.  His death is imminent.  When asked about his situation by the reporter, he simply replied, “ I am glad that I am dying slowly.”  Huh?  I was stunned at that response as was the reporter.  He explained that he was glad to be fading slowly so that he had time to thank everyone who helped him.  Read that again, wipe your eyes, and give this some thought.  The camera returned to hoards of people signing his special wooden gift with notes of thanks and encouragement.  As the camera moved to a wider view, the wooden gift, made of beautiful pine, turned out to be a coffin.  A special gift, indeed, to a man who left a legacy of giving of himself to others.

What do you hope to do today that will make a difference at the end of the day…or the end of next week…or the next grading period…or the semester…or for a career?  What kind of legacy do you want to leave at this school when someday they tear it down to build another?  What do you want to be remembered for as someone who worked with kids?  Is it patience?  Kindness? Setting high expectations for your students?  Reaching out to help someone when they didn’t ask for it?  Taking the extra moment each day just to share a smile?  What will matter most when others look back on you?  I have been pretty clear in all of my writings that what we get to do is different than “real world” positions.  We get to change lives.  Make the most of every opportunity that you have with kids.  We get that opportunity every single day here, but it is only an opportunity.  You can seize what is there or simply go through the motions.  You can make the most of every opportunity or you can let it pass by never to have that chance again.  It’s really not about what we take in relative to numbers, but rather the number we put out prepared for the next step.  The special gift that you can give is not made of wood. If you choose to, it is the gift of yourself.