The week of February 14th is Community Service Week at Beechwood School. Each class will be engaging in projects in an effort to do something positive and helpful in our local area. Gathering food for the hungry, showing appreciation for police officers and veterans, and visiting the elderly are just some of the good works we have planned.
It is my hope that through these projects, our students will see the value in serving others. The core lesson should be that service benefits the person who is served and the person who is serving. When we serve, we do not get paid. We receive a gift greater than money: a feeling that we made the world a better place.
We should also teach our children that serving our fellow man is more that a once-a-year undertaking and that it does not need to be done on a grand scale. We should look for opportunities every day to serve others, to help where needed. I love it when Beechwood kids recognize that someone needs help and they reach out to offer assistance. My proudest moments are when children do this without prompting and expect nothing in return.
I am reading a great book called “The Power of Kindness” by Piero Ferrucci. In there he writes about service as an “opportunity to make another human being feel better”. There are so many ways we can do this:
1. By making others laugh
2. By listening intently to someone who is sad or frustrated
3. By offering to cook, clean or babysit for someone who is overwhelmed
4. By being complimentary rather than critical
5. By giving a hug, a high-five or a handshake
I hope that all of us can make it a goal for the New Year to be of service to others on a regular and on-going basis. Look for opportunities to lift someone up. Even the tiniest act of kindness can make a big difference.
-Mr. Laurance