Rebuild Me

What an eventful week!  Despite fighting off a cold and overdosing on Vitamin C (not really but I had a whole lot of it!), I was able to get a lot accomplished.  This completely surprised me because I normally act like a big baby in need of lots of love and attention when I'm sick.  Instead, I was able to finish my last class to complete my AS in Business, and finalize the plans to begin classes for my BS in Business!  Between working full time to pay bills and raising kids, it was difficult for me to make school a priority.  However, in order to improve myself, I had to make it fit somewhere in the midst of the madness.  The last year and a half of extreme multi-tasking paid off.  Now, it's on to the next!

This week I realized no matter where we are in our lives, young/old, high school diploma/Ph.D., single/married, pastor/pope there is always room for improvement.  As long as we walk this earth, there will always be something to learn and some way to improve.  Many of us get lost thinking everyone around us needs to improve and that will make our lives easier.  However, change starts within.  Change starts at home.  Once the first steps are taken toward improving, change doesn't take long at all.  My seven-year-old son showed me this at our dinner table last night.

Late last night, my son decided to start his homework.  He sat down at our dining room table with a packet of papers and two loose sheets of paper.  One of those loose sheets asked him to look through a magazine and find an ad of someone helping someone else.  He then, in his own words, had to write what it means to be a good citizen and explain how the people in the ad are showing good citizenship.  The ad I chose for him was an ad for the National Dental Association.  This ad showed pictures of the organization's various community service activities, and it included their mission statement.  I asked my son to read the mission statement to my fiance, and myself, and this is when he surprised us!  He knew words like 'undeserved', 'underrepresented', and 'mentorship'.  Wow!  Those nights of forcing summer reading paid off!  I must say it was a very pleasant surprise.

The small efforts he put forth to improve his reading changed him for the better, and it sparked great conversation in our home.  We were able to explain community service, and its importance.  My son asked questions in an effort to truly understand the topics.  This change in him, changed me.  I have even more respect for the strength he shows every day as a good student and athlete.  When I see positive change in a person, whether it's myself, my family, or my friends, it absolutely amazes me. 

Usually change occurs when a person is put into uncomfortable situations and forced to transform the way they think in order to survive.  The weak don't change, instead they try to change everyone around them.  The strong adapt.  They change the way they think and act in order to elevate themselves mentally, physically, and spiritually.  Every situation, good or bad, offers opportunities for growth.  If we constantly look at ourselves as being in a 'rebuilding phase' or 'under construction', we will keep ourselves humble and open to learn.  This is vital in striving to be the best people we can be together, and individually.  I hope I can continue to rebuild myself and show improvement everyday.  I hope we can all challenge ourselves to rebuild, no matter where we are in our lives.