Finding Hope in Children

I love working with children. I've been in education over 40 years (!) and I could fill books with the funny and amazing - and hopeful - things that children have said and done. They absolutely delight me. 

Before I even considered becoming a teacher I worked in a day care center with 3 & 4 year olds. What energy! One of the little boys called out to me every morning "Hi Glory!! Come play with me Glory!" For weeks I laughed about this, and occasionally tried to correct him by telling him my name was "Laurie". But every day he'd continue to call me Glory. I finally realized that it was because a couple of the teachers in the room greeted everyone with a loud "G'morning Sue! G'morning Mary!" 

Now say that to yourself: "G'morning Laurie" And doesn't it sound a bit like Glory?

Easy to see how my love of the things children say stayed with me the rest of my life. 

Children bring me hope. I could share a million different ways in which I see hope in the eyes of a child.

Visiting Itasca State Park. On the bus ride home a first grader took my hand and asked "Is it always there? Can anybody go there whenever they want?" What a thrill to introduce a child to a place in our community that brings out that kind of response!

Learning to read. Okay - anyone who has ever experienced the wonder of a young child reading for the first time must know that they are witnessing a miracle. 

Playing baseball (or fill in your own activity). There is no bigger knot in a mother's stomach when her own child walks up to bat or, worse yet, to pitch! It may not strike fear in the heart of the child, but I'll never forget the stress I felt from the bleachers. I will also never forget the hope and the pride. :)

First snowfalls. While adults may be cursing the slippery roads or the thought of bringing out the shovels, look at the sparkle in the eyes of the young ones: It's SNOWING!!

Playing a musical instrument. From those first screeches, to the never-ending scales, and then simple melodies; if you've experienced a child learning to play clarinet, or trumpet, or piano, or any number of other instruments, you know the absolutely joy when you first hear a recognizable tune, or better yet, when the whole band plays. 

Treating others kindly. I can't tell you the number of times my heart swelled when the children in my classrooms showed concern for each other. Regardless of the grade I taught or the subject they needed to learn, I always believed my most important lessons in school had to do more with caring for others and building relationships than anything else. 

Looking at a manger scene. My niece Sara's daughter, Marit, bored by "adult conversation" wandered over to our nativity a Christmas or two ago. It's not breakable, and it was cute to see her playing with the shepherds, processing the kings to the manger, and putting baby Jesus in Mary's arms. But the sweetest part was that after everyone left I looked at that nativity and saw the final way Marit had set the scene.

It's the way we all should be "setting the scene" this Christmas. 

Baby Jesus was in the manger. But Mary, Joseph, the shepherd, the kings, and all the animals were standing huddled together - facing that manger. Every eye on the baby. Rather than the typical nativity scene, this group looked to the baby Jesus as if they were in awe of Him. 

As if He were the Savior. 

As if He were the King.

And that's HOPE.

Whether you have little ones sitting beside you, just across town, across the country, or inside your treasured memories, think about the hope with which a child lives. 

Close your eyes and remember the children in your life and the illustrations of hope all around. 

And just to make you laugh I'll tell one more story of hope. For one full school year I walked down the same hallway at Frank White Elementary School at the same time each day, and just at the corner I met a little gal who, for whatever reason, was always walking that same hallway in the other direction. She was a friendly little thing, and one who loved to talk. 

Each day, just after we greeted each other, she would point at me with her pointer finger, and move it up and down as she studied me from head to toe. And then she would stop at something she noticed and say "I like your hair" or "I like your earrings" or "I like your shoes". 

It was one of the highlights of my day. Sometimes I even considered what I might wear that she would notice.

As the year went on this continued daily, until one winter noon we met in the hallway and said our greetings. As always, she stuck that little pointer finger out and looked me up and down. She then began, "I like your..." and there was a very great pause. 

In fact, there was more than a pause, because apparently she found nothing she liked. She hesitated a moment, and then called out "Have a great day!" and skipped off down the hall. 

For years I chuckled about that one, and as I looked myself over in the mirror just before leaving for work I often thought about what it might be that she would point out that day. It really didn't matter though. Because just seeing her face light up, hearing her say my name, looking forward to that friendly little face always filled me with a lightness that I can only call hope. 

I don't know where she is today. But I do know that she taught me a whole lot more than I ever taught her. 

And....I like your sweater!