Examples

This week has been a fast one at school. The kids are winding down towards the end of the year. 32 days to go...Thank You Jesus!! But as this year finishes up I start looking at the fifth graders closely. they will be leaving elementary school and heading for the dreaded middle school years. Those are my least favorite ages in children. I would never ever want to be that age again. I am going to miss most (not all) of the fifth graders. I got a few compliments from some of the girls this week because I got a fresh haircut and some color. They really notice that stuff. Some of the boys are telling me their baseball stories and telling me about upcoming football camp. I am a big fan of my Eagle football team!! Many of these kids come to school for breakfast and they come in with really sad faces. One little boy confided to me in tears that his parents weren't working out and he was moving away. He cried really hard and I couldn't help but cry a little too. So sad. One young girl tells me everyday, Bye Miss Cindy...See you at lunch and have a good day." So sweet. Sometimes we "lunch ladies" are the only smile they get that day. Maybe the only hug they get is from one of us. And yes, I hug and kiss these children. They need it. Some of them very badly. My friend Janet works with me and she is a hugger too. She and I know that sometimes we are the "example" for these kids. All of us "grown-ups" are whether we like it or not. Kids, preteens, teens and college kids all watch us grown-ups all the time. It isn't what we say to them but how we act towards them. How we react to them. What we do in front of them and what we think we are sneaking around them that we don't think they even see...but they do. We are examples for a lot of people. Do we act in the proper way, say the proper things, go to the proper places all the time? Probably not. I don't. I have failed miserably at being a good example at times. Now that I am a grandmother I am more conscious than ever of what kind of example I am showing to my little Piper. When she grows up I want her to remember positive things about me. I truly do not want to let her down. I know at times I will. I am human. But I pray each and every day that the Lord shows me what to do and say to make me a better example. For my children, my friends,
the students and my grand babies. The one I have and the ones to come....