The idea for this blog drifted into my mind as I was trying to sleep this morning, so I decided to get moving and outline it before my day got too hectic. As I was listening to my oldest daughter complain about all the things in her life that she felt were wrong, I prayed for the wisdom to provide her insight into how things worked.
She hasn't quite figured out that circumstances in life are always of our own choosing. It is either because we put ourselves into situations that are unmanageable, unbearable; or, we lack the appropriate coping skills and maturity to deal with the circumstances. This is why we complain.
Imagine a box of cold and abandoned kittens on the side of the road. Now imagine how loud and needy these kittens are. When a person stumbles upon these kittens, humanity directs us to reach down and comfort the kittens, to make it better for them. Yes, these kittens are loud and very needy. It can almost seem impossible to help them all.
Now imagine one kitten in the group that has stopped meowing as loudly as the others. This little kitten has given up and lays almost immobile. Even though this kitten will occasionally make a sound, the sound is weak, almost an afterthought. This doesn't mean this kitten needs less. This kitten has just about given up.
What would be the first priority? How could each kitten be helped according to its needs? Think about the weakest kitten. Does it just need to be put in front of a bowl of milk and expected to figure it out for himself?
People in our lives are similar to these cold and abandoned kittens. I thought about my students, my coworkers and even my daughters as the image of these little kittens came into my mind this morning. As a parent, we tend to balance out the needs of our children, searching out the quiet child, ignoring the really loud one. We have more time with our children, so we are able to cultivate deep connections and understandings with them.
Just like the weakest kitten needs more direct care and monitoring, so too do some of the quietest students in a classroom. As long as students are needy and whining, they are strong enough to fight. Those students who have withdrawn into themselves are often the ones who are too weak to fight anymore. Of course, fight doesn't mean actual fighting................it is the metaphor of faith.
She hasn't quite figured out that circumstances in life are always of our own choosing. It is either because we put ourselves into situations that are unmanageable, unbearable; or, we lack the appropriate coping skills and maturity to deal with the circumstances. This is why we complain.
Imagine a box of cold and abandoned kittens on the side of the road. Now imagine how loud and needy these kittens are. When a person stumbles upon these kittens, humanity directs us to reach down and comfort the kittens, to make it better for them. Yes, these kittens are loud and very needy. It can almost seem impossible to help them all.
Now imagine one kitten in the group that has stopped meowing as loudly as the others. This little kitten has given up and lays almost immobile. Even though this kitten will occasionally make a sound, the sound is weak, almost an afterthought. This doesn't mean this kitten needs less. This kitten has just about given up.
What would be the first priority? How could each kitten be helped according to its needs? Think about the weakest kitten. Does it just need to be put in front of a bowl of milk and expected to figure it out for himself?
People in our lives are similar to these cold and abandoned kittens. I thought about my students, my coworkers and even my daughters as the image of these little kittens came into my mind this morning. As a parent, we tend to balance out the needs of our children, searching out the quiet child, ignoring the really loud one. We have more time with our children, so we are able to cultivate deep connections and understandings with them.
Just like the weakest kitten needs more direct care and monitoring, so too do some of the quietest students in a classroom. As long as students are needy and whining, they are strong enough to fight. Those students who have withdrawn into themselves are often the ones who are too weak to fight anymore. Of course, fight doesn't mean actual fighting................it is the metaphor of faith.
I am that weakest kitten today. Good post, miss you!
ReplyDeleteI miss you, too. There is hardly a day that goes by that I don't want to text or call you with a ton of questions!!!
Delete