5.14.2008

Fred's Wisdom

It's not news that I love every second I get to spend with children. I love their enthusiasm, their wit, their humor, and their innocence. They make me smile, they touch my heart and make me want to be a better person. I think it's also common knowledge that I love teaching. When you put those two things together, it becomes a gift [for me, anyway] that lifts me and changes me for the better.

That's why I was so taken with this quote by Fred Rogers: "Learning and loving go hand in hand. My grandfather was one of those people who loved to live and loved to teach . . . He'd help me find something wonderful in the smallest of things, and ever so carefully, he'd help me understand the enormous worth of every human being."

It touched me to read that his grandfather had such an influence on him. The concept of human worth is something we all need to understand and I have known for years that learning is accelerated when love enters the picture. Once again, I am reminded of the importance of these family relationships, on many levels.

I have children in my life both at home and at church and this is my goal: that I can help those little ones understand their enormous worth and to surround them with love.

Because love builds people.

9 comments:

tiburon said...

What a great quote! And great thoughts :)

Ashley said...

I totally agree with your last comment: love does build people.

Cammie said...

Love builds people! That is great.

Christina said...

I love your thoughts today, Jan. I love to teach, but I often don't think of applying all of my teaching to my kids- as backwards as that may seem- because it's not the kind of teaching I'm most practiced with or feel the best at. I need to work harder at being my kids' best teacher!

Marilee said...

You are so insightful and right on!

Jori said...

I bet the parents in your ward are SO thankful to have you teach their children. You are an amazing woman!

Mia said...

Lovely quote!

Unknown said...

i always love fred's thoughts! that's a great one.

tara said...

wonderful insights jan. fred was a fantastic individual.