Blessed simplicity!!

Tiersten came home from school yesterday and said her day went, "Good!" Considering that her teacher passed away unexpectedly on Monday, and the children have been shadowed by grief counselors ever since, I was impressed! I know that most 6 & 7-year-olds don't totally grasp the concept of death, but I thought that by now, she might be feeling the strain of all the sudden changes. Not to mention that Tiersten (and most other children this age) is very intuitive about what is expected by the adults around her. Even Tuesday morning arriving at school for the first time since being informed of Ms. Leach's passing, you could see her and all of her friends gauging the adults' faces for how to "mimic" what was appropriate behavior for the situation. (I'm humbled, yet again, by just how much OUR actions effect those of the children around us!!)

Anyway.......back to the topic. When Mike asked Tiersten what had made her day so good, she only said one thing. "Mrs. Reinen (the substitute) only has one rule in her class. We only have ONE thing to remember. That's it!" She was SO clearly delighted by the simplicity. When prompted for what that rule was? "Always do the right thing."

That one simple 5-word sentence really encompasses what the only rule needs to be for all of us in life, doesn't it? Always do the right thing. In practice, of course, it is harder than it sounds, but for my daughter's chaotic week, it meant SO much to her to have simplicity in the transition.

To Mrs. Reinen (Vivian)..........THANK YOU! These children will forever remember the day that their first grade teacher died. For most of them, it is their first experience with the death of a loved one. THANK YOU for stepping forward and, with your experience, knowing that these children needed simplicity.