The small moments that make a big difference

Yesterday started like any other morning — the usual scramble of backpacks, lunch boxes, and last-minute reminders. But for one of our kids, it was a particularly tough day. As we pulled up to the school, their shoulders slumped and their eyes welled up. They clung to us, shaking their head, whispering that they didn’t want to go inside.

As parents, we all know these moments. They tug at your heart, and no amount of gentle coaxing or encouragement seems to help. It’s easy to feel helpless, or even frustrated, as you watch your child battle worries they can’t quite put into words.

That’s when Mr. Burwick, one of the teachers, happened to walk by. He didn’t pause at a distance or try to hurry things along. Instead, he quietly knelt down right there in the hallway — and then, to our surprise, lay down on the floor beside our child. Looking up at the ceiling, he started chatting with them, his voice soft and calm. He admitted that sometimes he doesn’t feel like coming to school either, but he does it because he loves learning new things and being with the people who make him smile.

Little by little, the tension melted away. Our child began to giggle, then sat down cross-legged next to him, listening closely. Within minutes, the tears were gone. Hand in hand with Mr. Burwick, they stood up and walked into class together, ready to start the day.

It might seem like a small gesture, but to us — and to our child — it meant everything. It’s a reminder of the unseen work that teachers do every single day. Beyond lesson plans, report cards, and test scores, they pour their hearts into making sure our kids feel safe, valued, and genuinely loved.

Moments like this are why we believe so deeply in supporting one another — parents, teachers, neighbors, and community members. It’s easy these days to get caught up in criticism or to focus on what’s going wrong. But our children are watching us closely, learning not just from what we say, but how we treat each other.

So let’s choose compassion. Let’s lift each other up instead of tearing each other down. Because when we model kindness, empathy, and respect, we’re showing our kids how to be the kind of leaders and friends we hope they’ll grow up to be.