Day 37: Breathe, Seek, Play.....Random Act of Kindness the No. 2 Version

And before you can let your mind go in places it clearly shouldn't...we are talking about PENCILS! Today, the kids went on a field trip to the Tryon Palace in New Bern. I volunteered to go and chaperoned 11 students and had a blast watching them read and learn the whirlwind of information in the brief amount of time we had to explore the interactive historical part of the center. Last night we discussed that we would look for something to share with our classmates while on the field trip. We thought about the free magazine that they give out at the Visitor Center, but we overheard our teacher discussing that she wanted to be sure she picked them up on her way out. While the kids were eating lunch I went into the gift shop and browsed for what could we do that would be a nice treat for the class and be useful. I found bookmarks and pencils...and opted for the pencils. I had to get Cooper and Elliott's input and let their teacher in on it since she would have to take them back to the class. We thought it would represent a way for kids to make their mark and so many kids in their class need pencils (especially this time of year when resources start running low) However, the kids arrived back to school just as they were to be dismissed and had to go immediately to their bus or carpool line. So our random act of kindness will be fulfilled tomorrow when the class receives their postcard of the Tryon Palace tomorrow. I wish I had stumbled upon this story before I wrote the note on the postcard or else I would have written this have the teacher share with the class (I still may email it so she can read it to them tomorrow).

A pencil maker told the pencil 5 important lessons just before putting it in the box:
1. Everything you do you will always leave a mark.
2. You can always correct the mistakes you make.
3. What is important is what is inside of you.
4. In life, you will undergo painful sharpening which will only make you better.
5. To be the best pencil, you must allow yourself to be held and guided by the hand that holds you.

I asked the attendant at the visitor desk about the historical magazines and she said she would have a box of 125 brought down for the kids but the buses had already boarded and were leaving. So I waited for them to be brought down and carried them to the school and delivered them to the front office for the teachers to pass out tomorrow. So even a little gift, like a souvenir pencil...can go on to represent kindness in ways we may never know, maybe one of the kids will make their mark in writing or with a test...or maybe they will just enjoy the gift and the happiness the surprise tomorrow when they each get their pencil. All we do know is that Random Act of Kindness makes marks on our heart that can never be erased!