A few months ago both Laney and Reuben
graduated from preschool. Part of the graduation ceremony includes having each
of the graduates walk across the stage (one at a time) to receive their diploma
while their picture is displayed on the screen overhead and announces where
they will be attending kindergarten and what they hope to be when they grow up.
It is always sweet to hear what the hopes and aspirations of
these innocent, naïve five year-olds are. But this year one little girl’s
future plans put extra-big smiles on the faces of the audience and one great
big collective “Aaawww”.
Her reply: “When I grow up I want to be a Silver Dollar City
Bus Driver”. Now for those of you who don’t know what that means, Silver Dollar
City is a family amusement part in Branson, Missouri. Branson is one of the
nation’s top vacation destinations, and Silver Dollar City is the top tourist
attraction in the area. Anyway…when you drive into the park you are directed to
a parking lot from which you can ride an open-air tram to the park’s entrance. The drivers of these trams are always very
welcoming and friendly and usually add a hefty dose of Ozark (corny) humor to
the ride.
All that being said, I think it is safe to that this little
girl’s hopes for the future come from a heart and personality that wants to
make people smile and feel welcome and cared for.
Now let’s fast-forward to a couple of weeks ago. My
daughter, Elizabeth and I were talking on the phone and she was telling me
about Laney’s latest kindergarten ‘adventures’. She told me that the teacher
(who, by the way, sounds like she is top-notch) gave each student the
opportunity to ‘apply’ for a classroom job. Each student was then interviewed
for that position by answering a few questions, including the question of why
they wanted to be chosen for that particular job.
The position Laney applied for was that of DOORKEEPER. As
the doorkeeper she would be responsible for holing the door for all her
classmates whenever they went in and out of their room or other locations
around the school. She must have interviewed well, because when Elizabeth
picked her up from school that day, she announced she’d been ‘hired’.
Curious as to what Laney’s mindset was, Elizabeth asked her
why she applied for the position of doorkeeper. Her reply was, “So I can tell
all my friends hello and goodbye. I get to talk to everyone.”
Now if that would have been me back in the day, the whole
being able to talk to everyone would have stemmed from the fact that I just
liked to talk. I still do, but that’s beside the point. But Laney’s reasoning came
from a different and less selfish ‘place’. Laney wants to be able to greet and
speak to all her classmates because she is a nurturer. She wants to care for
them…do for them.
The point I want to make is that the adults in the audience
smiled and chuckled because all they heard was that the little girl wanted to
drive a tram around an amusement park. But that’s not it at all. That little
girl wants to spend her life making people feel welcome and happy. And Laney’s
choice of being a doorkeeper isn’t about taking the easy way out or getting her
‘Chatty Kathy’ on. She wants to be in a position to make sure everyone gets
recognized—that no one goes through the day without being smiled at and spoken
to.
So what some might see as a silly or menial task others see
as a way to make a difference. The question is, are you giving your kids the
opportunity to do that without making them feel silly?
Love,
Momma D
Copyright 2018 Darla Noble. No part of this can be used or copied without permission from the author. Momma D
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