Little People

It doesn’t seem possible for the news to get darker every week, but somehow it does, doesn’t it?  And bit by bit, we are all getting more and more desensitized, and I think probably more and more glum, cynical and maybe more anxious all the time.

Even though this was a dark week, there were a couple of bright spots for me.  Working with my students at the piano always brings me joy. Also, on Wednesday it was walk-to-school day at our elementary school, and my kidlets always love walking all the way from our house to school on walk-to-school day.  It could be that it’s especially fun to walk downhill and not have to walk back up the big hill because they can ride the bus home at the end of the school day, but even more than that, it is just especially enjoyable to be outside on a beautiful fall (or spring) morning taking in the pop of the sunrise over Lake Superior from different vantage points here at the top of the hill, watching the first rays of sunlight stream into the forest, and meeting up with more and more families walking to school the farther down the hill we get.  Everyone converges onto the bike path and then all those bouncy kids spill out onto the sidewalk by the school, and a swarm of people end up crossing the intersection guarded by diligent fifth grade crossing guards doing a great job at their morning task.  All those kids are bouncing their way to school like only kids can do, because first graders just can’t help bouncing, can they?  We passed a house near the school where two people from my church live who have all grown children now, but lots of grandchildren, and they were out in their yard waving to all the bouncy little people on their way to school, taking in that tangible joy, because it can’t help but be contagious.

This week I started teaching preschool music and movement classes in assisted living centers, and this morning as I was leaving class, things were a bit crazy.  The ambulance had to come to pick up a resident who needed medical care, all the residents were late for lunch (and a bit grumpy) because they had to wait to use the elevator, and the caregivers were looking a bit frazzled.  I had to wait to use the elevator too, since I couldn’t maneuver my red wagon filled with buckets and boxes of instruments down the stairwell.  While I was waiting I offered to help the activities director move the furniture back to its normal place in the room we were singing in, and I said, “Thank you all so much for moving all this furniture for us each week so that we can come.”

She looked at me and said, “No, thank YOU for coming.  You probably can’t imagine how important having these kids come here is, especially on a week like this, because so many of these people just spend all day in their room in front of their television sets, since it’s hard for them to be active.  And they listen to the news all day long and just get more and more anxious and upset and depressed.  Getting them out of their rooms and into a community space where they are around joyous little people is exactly what they need.”

So, here’s my takeaway for the day:  If you feel a little glum this week, find some kids!  Just watch them bounce, run and laugh.  Even if they are having a temporary temper tantrum, they will probably make your life a little fuller, and a little better.  You can just ask them to jump in circles until they get dizzy, because that’s always entertaining!