We sometimes forget how much of a privileged life we live. How we don't have to worry about feeding ourselves, worry about finding a place to sleep, or even making sure that we have something to wear. I know I do. All the time. But, this past week I realized how those who don't have these necessities still somehow find a way to smile.
I have two students who are both sisters. This past month they moved about an hour away from school. They now have to take two different trains every morning to get to school which takes about two hours. So they're late almost everyday. But that's not even the entire story.
They live in a two bedroom apartment and there are six people in the family. So they find themselves sleeping on the floors without a mattress. This past week their electricity was cut off so they now have to shower in cold water and their food in their refrigerator is spoiled. They don't have much to eat because they don't have the money.
But that isn't even the point.
The younger sister came up to class last Friday an hour late. She came up to me with a huge smile on her face and said, "Ms. P! I knew you were going to read the next chapter of The Giver so I read ahead so I wouldn't miss anything!"
That's the point.
The small things.
“If you take care of the small things,
the big things take care of themselves.
You can gain more control over your life by
paying closer attention to the little things.”
~ Emily Dickinson
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