6. The Power of Love: Caring for One Another

This We Believe (NMSA, 2010).

* A shared vision developed by all stakeholders guides every decision. Shared Vision


While I believe a spirit of advocacy must guide all decisions, this morning I heard a reflection that could serve to guide all of us as team members. It is shared with permission.

"I have a friend, a classmate from Davidson, who found out the week before our 20th reunion, (which was four years ago), that she had Stage Four Colon Cancer. I have watched her journey with cancer in awe of her strength and her faith that God is with her every step of the way. Daily affirmations are shared from her on her Facebook page, that most days bring me to tears, about her life and living it fully. About two months ago, she received the news that traditional treatment was not working. Faced with the fear of mortality, hear her words in the midst of this devastating news: 

'The key to happiness is love. We all know it's true, and yet we resist this truth over, and over, and over again by focusing on money, and stuff, and power, and prestige, and anger, and blame, and insecurities, and hotness, and fitness, and I'm-better-than-you-ness, and a million other things that do nothing but stymie love and relationality, and inner-peace. Please, friends, save yourselves from the misery of what doesn't matter and live your life through the lens of love! That's my plan, every day.'"

Her words remind me that we must live life fully and if we care, we must care wholly. We each bring our own baggage to classrooms, teams, and schools. There are days when we inadvertently make mistakes and damage relationships. There are days when we lift one another up, and make it a point to let others know they are doing good work. In a spirit of care, may we find ways to walk beside one another on our journey. May we consider that our purpose in this life is to advocate for the children we are serving. What we may not realize is that we also have the charge to serve one another. Let's make every day count towards good.

Advice

1) When you hear a compliment about a colleague, share it with them. When you value those you work with, let them know.

2) When you make a mistake, never be afraid to say you are sorry. We are all human. I have had to tell my students I am sorry;  I have had to tell colleagues and administrators I am sorry.

3) Sometimes when children and/or colleagues lash out, it may be that their world is in disarray. Our own insecurities make us vulnerable and often we choose to be "the victim." When in reality, the one's who are causing the most harm may be the weakest in spirit. Our job is to find out what is really going on and help guide children and our colleagues into a better understanding of their world.

4) If someone is lashing out at others, someone needs to let them know how it is perceived. When we are by-standers to verbally abusive people, children, parents or administrators, we are not helping the situation. It takes more courage to challenge angry people; the courage to speak must be shared in love.

5) If you are miserable at what you are doing, if the environment is too toxic, you need to consider changing jobs. Children and colleagues do not deserve to live in an environment of dread.

6) Finally, life is short. We do not know how long we are here, on this journey. My hope for you is that you live it fully!