So, we've all heard the saying that we should stop and smell the roses, right?Well, this morning I dropped the kids off at school and told them that they had just enough time to walk in and sit down for Community Time (our elementary school begins this way each morning with all of the kids gathering together for announcements, lunch menus, pledges, and singing happy birthday to any birthday kids). As you can probably imagine, Noah and Abby promptly hopped out of the car and walked quickly into the school. Ethan got, well, just a wee bit distracted by all of the . . . worms!!! I sat and watched him count each and every worm between the car and the front door of the school. I can almost guarantee you that he was late for community time! And, so, do I scold him when he gets home for not following my instructions and being into school on time . . . or do I praise him for taking the time to notice God's creation and follow the curious nature that God has blessed him with? I'll admit, my first instinct was definitely one of displeasure, as I am a very goal-oriented, task-driven person . . . and I think I miss lots of worms along the way! But as I continued to watch him count worm after worm after worm, being passed on both sides by kids rushing into the school, completely oblivious to everything but worms . . . I could only smile.
3:44 PM UPDATE . . . Ethan informed me that he was, in fact, NOT late for school. And he counted 104 worms :-)
8 comments:
I had to smile, too - but with tears in my eyes! Ethan has such a passion for all living creatures! What a lesson for all of us to learn .. thank you, Ethan, for teaching me to "stop and count the worms" --
Love you
Grandma from North Dakota
"And, so, do I scold him when he gets home for not following my instructions and being into school at time . . . or do I praise him for taking the time to notice God's creation and follow the curious nature that God has blessed him with?"
I think you know the answer to your question, otherwise you wouldn't have posted it! :-) this is a cool story and there's a real lesson to be learned here. There is always something going on! Unfortunately we are too busy to recognize it. Ethan doesn't need to be reminded that it's about the journey to the desitination and not about simply getting there. Celebrate it with him! Praise him for his attentiveness to the details. Validate his heart! keep that smile that you have when you think about it. It's definately worth smiling about!
I whole heartedly agree with Mike...do not scold him, praise him! That is not just because I am tenderhearted Auntie Holly either...
I love you Ethan!
What a great lesson to hear about. I too am goal and task oriented and am constantly on my kids. "Hurry up - we're late" will probably be the phrase my kids remember most from me from their childhood. That's not the legacy I want to leave them with - thank you for the reminder. :)
Great Post! Way to go E.P.!! Thanks for teaching all us adults whats really important and how beautiful God's creation is.
This is one of those stories that remind me that kids have just as much to teach us as we have to teach them.
Ditto to all the above comments. From now on every time I see a worm in your Auntie Jen's garden, I will think of this story EP.
i was just reading last night some stuff on francis of assissi- famous theologian! he too was fascinated with worms and used them as analogies with Scripture! Sounds to me like Ethan has such promise- to love nature like that and to take time to love it. Wow! I am even more impressed after reading what I read last night.
I love the U2 sounds coming over your blog, man.
Post a Comment