Last month, I told my pupils in Pompton School about my plan. "I'd like you to do jobs to make some money. " I said. "Then we'll buy food for someone in need. "
I wanted them to experience that it's more meaningful to give than to receive. I hope they could experience a sense of their own ability to make a change.
After working for a couple of weeks, children made plenty of pocket money. I told them we would visit an old woman who lived not far away.
Before Christmas, we gathered in front of the supermarket and went shopping. When we were paying for the bread and other food, Christine cried.
"Flowers! " At the same time, the group all ran towards the holiday plants.
"Don't buy flowers! " I said impatiently. After all, it was more necessary to buy some food.
"But Mrs. Sherlock, " came the loud voice, "we want flowers. "
In the middle of plants, there was a pot of unusually purple flowers. "She will like this one. " All the children agreed.
With the address of a poor woman who had lived alone for years, we started driving. An hour later, we stopped in front of a small house. A woman opened the door. The house was so dark. It took me minutes to adapt to the dim light and then I found the room was old but tidy.
As the kids carried all the food in, the old woman greeted everyone—much to her visitors' pleasure. When Amy put the flowers on the table, the woman seemed shocked. "She's wishing it was a bag of food. " I thought.
"What do you often do at home? " Michael asked.
The woman brightened. " Feed the birds. They often fly to me because I share my bread with them. " She said.
We talked for a while, then said goodbye to each other. Through the window we saw her walk past the food, straight to the flowers. She put her face-in them and looked up with a big smile. She was different before our eyes! In that one short moment, the children saw for themselves the ability they owned to make a change. "I am so proud of you. " I smiled to my pupils.
Sometimes a person needs a pot of nice purple flowers on a dark winter day.