When Life Gives You Lemons, Make a Book: A tale of a tiny book
Today is one of those busy days in class where the students have to move from one classroom to another for three different class periods. During the swimming period, one of the kids didn’t seem to follow the usual routine: get swimming attire and change footwear to flipflops before going to the pool. Her friends tried to persuade her to join the line, but she remained seated. After several attempts, she finally spoke and told them that she couldn’t swim that day.
She informed me that her doctor had applied a medication to her eyes and that her mother had advised her to avoid wetting her face and sweating, to prevent any potential complications with the treatment. Once I understood the situation, I consoled the child and asked her to remain in the classroom and work on her journal while the rest of the class went to swim. This way, she could still participate in the day’s activities without risking her recovery.
As she sat at her desk, she started to rip pages from her notepad, appearing focused on a task. Since journals allowed her to express herself freely, I didn’t supervise her work closely. After a while, she stood up and sharpened her colored pencils, then sat down, bowed her head, and leaned over her desk; her concentration apparent. A few minutes later, she stood up and borrowed my stapler, while I was pulling something from a cabinet on the other side of the room. When I turned around to return to my spot, she appeared surprised, so I asked, “Is there anything else you need?” She said no, then hurriedly returned to her desk and flipped to another page of her journal. Her behavior piqued my curiosity, but I respected her privacy and allowed her to work without interruption.
It had been an exhausting day with a jam-packed schedule, and I was looking forward to going home. When I got there, I usually tidied up my bag, as it sometimes accumulated trash such as crumpled papers and used tissues. As I was taking out each item, I was pleasantly surprised to find a tiny booklet made of notepad pages, stapled together and filled with colorful images. It turned out that the little girl who hadn’t gone swimming had spent her time creating a tiny book for me, and it brightened my day.
This simple act of kindness made my day different. The fact that a child, despite her own disappointment at not being able to swim, took the time to make a gift for her teacher speaks volumes about the beauty of human connection. It serves as a reminder that even in our busiest, most exhausting days, there’s always room for love, empathy, and the sharing of our gifts. 😍💙😊
Isaiah 54:10
For the mountains may depart
and the hills be removed,
but my steadfast love shall not depart from you,
and my covenant of peace shall not be removed,”
says the LORD, who has compassion on you.
Per-nal 
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