Although it is broken, its value is powerful

May 12, 2019, was a day of great reflection. After 23 years working with children and young people, I received a powerful message from a 7-year-old girl.

It was the Monday after Mother's Day. The little girl saw me and immediately said: "Master, I have something for you" while looking excitedly inside her bundle. Suddenly, she took out a cookie tin that said “Happy Mother's Day.” I hugged her and thanked her. As I was about to open the tin she said, “Teacher, they are broken, but they taste very good.” Those words they rumbled inside me. I opened the can and yes, the cookies were broken, but I ate two in front of her and then I ate them all. They were delicious.

How many children do we receive every day with broken hearts, with broken innocence, facing a world that brings them down? Many times, that pain turns into bad behavior, bad decisions, and low academic achievement, among others. But despite all this, we must not lose sight of the treasures that educators pass in front of us every day.

Some children may be broken, but they are still good. They are still powerful and capable. It is up to us to express to them how valuable they are. Let's use our words to boost your self-esteem.

Whenever we have the opportunity, let's talk to them in a positive way. Phrases such as "I see in you a talented professional" or "you are very special and I know that you will achieve everything you set your mind to" and "I know that you will go very far and achieve very great things", will polish the valuable treasures that surprise us every day with their beautiful smiles.

We always associate the broken with things that no longer serve and that have lost their value. What I experienced that afternoon makes it very clear to me that, even if something is broken, it can be very good. Imagine now that tin of cookies that, although they were broken, they were still delicious. Let's look at this story as a great example that even if something doesn't look good on the outside, its interior still has flavor and substance. We would be surprised if we stopped to analyze the power and great value of each one of those treasures that every day stand in front of us.

Mary Lou Cantin

Director, After School program

Vimenti