Toothpaste, Tortoises, and Hares

Boys and girls please join me on the carpet.  My 26 students start to ruffle their way to morning meeting.  Some students sprint to guarantee a front row seat.  Others take their time sauntering to join us.  "My class has its share of tortoises and hares," I think to myself.

"Who would like to help me with our lesson this morning?" Instantly 26 synchronized hands pop up.   I scan the crowd for just the right volunteer. 

"Johnny, would you please come up to the front?"  Johnny has been crawling in the back area of the carpet I refer to as South Carolina.  My first graders find this humorous since our school is in North Carolina.  

"Ok," Johnny replies with some hesitation.  As Johnny makes his way through the maze of his classmates to join me at the front, I pull my lesson materials out of my morning meeting bag.  My supplies consist of a paper plate and a small tube of toothpaste.  

"Johnny, please open the toothpaste for me." Johnny opens the toothpaste as his classmates are still struggling to find a  comfortable seat on the carpet.  "Now, Johnny, I need you to squeeze all the toothpaste out onto the plate." 

"Are you sure about that, Miss Deem?" Johnny asks.  "Yes, I'm  sure,"  I reply with a grin.  Johnny sees my smile and starts to squeeze.  As Johnny coats the paper plate with toothpaste the other children chuckle to each other as they watch eager to see what becomes of Johnny's toothpaste pile.   When Johnny finishes squeezing the toothpaste he hands the plate back to me.  "Okay, Johnny, now I need you to put the toothpaste back in the tube."

"But I can't, Miss Deem."

"Would you like to ask a friend to help you?" I ask.

As you might have guessed, Johnny wasn't able to get the toothpaste back in the tube or to get any of the kids to help him do it.

"Thank you, Johnny so much for your help.  Please have a seat."

"Boys and girls, our words are like this toothpaste.  Once we speak them, we can't take them back. If we don't choose our words carefully, they make a mess that can't be cleaned up."

"Miss Deem, how do we clean up our mess?" Susan asks.

I'm sure many of you have used this demonstration in your classes before.  I don't recall who first shared this idea with me.  What haunts me about this lesson is Susan's question.  How do we clean up our mess when we speak without thinking?

I have a friend who taught me how to clean up my mess.  

He taught me to always choose kindness even when confronted with meanness.  He taught me to turn towards Christ when I'm lost.  He taught me that family and friends are the best gifts we receive.  

He taught me that C.S. Lewis was right in the The Four Loves. Lewis writes that there are four kinds of love that make life meaningful.  Christmas commercials would have you believe that romance is the most important kind of love.  Lewis writes about romance, but he also goes into great detail about the value of affection, friendship, and charity.  My friend is kindness in action.  He is happiest when he is serving others.

My friend's generous spirit and gift for hospitality have uplifted me on more occasions than I can count. He helped me through my first Christmas without my mom.  He has helped me though personal and professional challenges.  He taught me to make every day an occasion to celebrate.   He taught me to love with my whole heart.  He taught me "a friend loves at all times." Proverbs 17:17

I am filled with gratitude for my friend's example.  I am blessed to know and love him.  Most people know him as Fr. Christopher Senk.  To me he will always be Padre.  Thank you, Padre, for being you:)