Thinking back as a kid, the first day of school was always when I felt nervous and excited. As a mom, I was perhaps a little more anxious and excited when my oldest child started school this year. As parents, we realize the impact school life can have on our kids, and like most parents, we were intentional about our school selection.
On Eli's first day, the new parents sat in for the year's first school assembly. Abi joined Eli in his classroom as teachers led the new parents to the school hall. Sitting next to my husband, I looked around and smiled at the other parents. Their body language a sign that they had been to their fair share of school assemblies. On the other hand were the newbie parents, anxiously waiting to set eyes on our children as they filled the empty rows of seats in front of us. Moments later, the hall filled up with students of all ages. In the first row closest to the stage sat little Abi next to Eli. Little miss Abi stood on her chair and stretched her little head to scan the room for us. We promptly signaled to her with a wave that we were close by and to sit down.
The assembly started with a brief introduction to all the new students. As Mr. V (principal) got up to speak, I wondered what a man of so much experience would have to say to students at the beginning of the school year. He started by telling a story.
During the school break, he noticed farmers harvesting onions in the fields next to his home. Seasonal workers under makeshift shaded areas working to gather and pick onions and arriving in vans at dawn and working through till dusk. Working hard in the hot summer sun with smiles on their faces and humming beautiful melodies as they worked through the fields.
Inspired by their hard work and diligence, Mr. V went on to explain that many would finish a day's work and return home tired. Because of their choices, the younger generations have access to more opportunities and options.
"Holidays are a time to rest and recover so that we may get back to work. The school break is over, and it is time to do work."
He went on to explain the two roads, "the easy" and "hard road." The easy road keeps us in bed long after we should have been up getting ready for the day, watching our favorite shows when we should be preparing for an upcoming test, or putting off an assignment because there could be so many other fun things we could do. Then the hard road, the road that teaches us to roll out of bed on a cold crisp winter morning, the road that prioritizes time to study. The hard road choices refine our characters and push us to succeed.
We are privileged to have the freedom to make choices every single day. The quality of our life determined by the choices we make. Making choices that don't appeal to our human nature takes practice. But as we continue to pick the more challenging decisions, we surely reap the rewards. We learn essential life skills because hard choices can make our lives easier and lead to good habits.
In some ways, the hard road seems hard at first but becomes more comfortable, and the easier route, which seems easy, is a lot harder, like waking up and getting out of bed when the alarm goes off. That's the first choice we make in the morning, but that first choice has a ripple effect on getting ready, not being rushed, and arriving at our destination on time.
Mr. V's talk may not have been as impacting on five-year-old Eli, but it could not have been at a better time. When 2021 started, I decided that I needed to make different choices to achieve my goals. My choices directly impact and influence my kids and my family. And so as the alarm goes off in the early hours, I feel my body asking for just a few more minutes of sleep, but my mind thinking I have a choice to make, and I hope the first one I make of the day will be the right one.
You to are faced with choices all day, like the one you made to read through my first blog; Thank you!! As you face life's choices, I hope you make wise decisions that lead to great opportunities.
Much Love
Natasha
