Certain teachers teach to those who learn easily:
Let’s applaud such teachers.
Uncertain teachers learn from those with difficulty in learning, and teach accordingly.
Let’s applaud such teachers doubly, and pay them accordingly.
There are those who find themselves overwhelmed by the role of teacher–who lose their sense of who’s the teacher and who’s being taught.
Let’s strive to be overwhelmed like they are overwhelmed, and pay them overwhelming amounts, accordingly, despite what we think they’re worth.
More than overwhelming amounts. More than our thoughts can think they’re worth.
Because they’re worth more than we can imagine they’re worth. And we might not actually deserve them.
But they do it anyway.
The overwhelming urge to applaud and pay back our overwhelmed teachers and caregivers has a name.
It’s called gratitude.
And gratitude, truth being told, has needs of its own. Gratitude needs fulfillment.
And what does gratitude’s fulfillment look like?
Gratitude’s fulfillment looks like care. And not just care, but caregiving. Gratitude, fulfilled, results in giving care. This is the circle of gratitude.
Complete the circle.
In feeling gratitude for our overwhelmed teachers, we give care until we feel overwhelmed with giving. In this way, we experience community in feeling overwhelmed with gratitude, together, and we care for one another.
And in feeling overwhelmed together, we care for one another, together, and in so doing, we might find our way to fulfillment–peace.
Overwhelming peace, in caring for one another.
Knowing this, what teacher wouldn’t want to be easily overwhelmed with the care they give?
Knowing this, what giver wouldn’t want to be easily overwhelmed with caregiving they enable through their giving?
Giving. Teaching. Overwhelming. Care. Learning. Giving.
Complete the circle.
What else is there?
(Peace is in the middle of it all)
🍀