The Simplest Things

So. When you’re putting together a performance for two hundred or so kids, it’s very easy to get tired of the music you have selected. As such, I tried to avoid tonight’s performance music as much as possible during classes today.

During one of my classes, while my students were doing non-performance related musical activities, my phone rang. When I heard it, I thought, “Oh. The phone is working now.” It hadn’t been working for two days. Phone service in the music hut comes and goes according to the weather.

Expecting to hear a teacher’s voice as I always do, I was surprised to hear a student’s voice on the other end of the line.

The voice said, “Ms. Deaton? Hey. This is _____. I just wanted to tell you thank you for reading my name on the intercom this morning.”

Truly touched by his thank you, I responded, “Well, you’re certainly welcome. Congratulations on your award, by the way. I’d love to read what you wrote.”

He said, “Okay. When I get it back, I’ll let you read it.”

I said, “That’ll be great. Maybe you can read it on the morning announcements, too.”

He said, “Okay. Thanks again.”

Wow.

The simplest things sometimes make the biggest difference.

Like asking 1st graders if they want to read the announcements and then letting them do so even though they “can’t really read that well” and need you to read the announcements phrase by phrase so they can do repeat after me…

Or saying thank you instead of taking someone’s work for granted…

Or encouraging children to thank you to our Veterans and keeping it so simple that, for the first time, a Veteran feels truly honored for his work…

Or holding the door…

Or giving a hug…

Or teaching a class how to express feelings…

Or looking someone in the eye and saying, “I love you. And I believe in you.”
The simplest things sometimes make the biggest difference.

What is something simple you have for someone recently? What is something simple that someone has done for you?