Good Thing It’s Not Pointy or Spiky: The Importance of Well Wishes

Some people think about ants as pests and annoyances. My son’s think about them as potential friends. Sure, an ant is capable of ruining a perfectly good picnic or giving you the creepy crawlies, but as you know, beauty…and as it turns out, friendship, is in the eye of the beholder.

Yesterday morning my five-year-old noticed and ant in the bathroom. Actually, we’ve been noticing ants in the bathroom for the past week or so. Springtime in Michigan means that the ants are waking up. So, in the tradition of little kids all over the world and throughout history, my boys have taken to naming our tiny little friends. In particular they’ve named two. One is “Pointy” and the other is “Spiky.” Frankly, I can’t tell the little fellas apart or even be certain that they are who they claim to be in any given moment, but we all know that adults are not nearly as adept as such things as children are.

These ants are almost too small to be seen by the naked eye, so I’m not sure were the names Pointy and Spiky came from. I think that there were some assumptions involved. That being said, my five-year-old has a mealworm named “Whoopsie” and a beetle named, “Silly” at school. Who knows the method to his madness? In any case, Pointy and Spiky have become daily references in the Berg house.

As the big guy was getting ready to flush yesterday morning he called out, “Oh no…there’s an ant in the toilet!” His brother came rushing into the bathroom.  There they stood, two brothers, concerned about their tiny friend. They looked into the toiled, they looked at each other, they looked into the toilet, they looked at each other, they looked into the toilet, and then finally, with a huge sigh of relief, the big guy said, “Oh good, it’s not Pointy or Spiky.” Still looking into the toiled the little guy followed suit by saying “Oh good.” Then, with cleared consciences, they flushed. Pointy and Spiky live on.

A few days ago I was talking with some administrative colleagues about leadership. During that conversation the concept of relationships wove its way through every point. The fact is, while the world of education can occasionally feel somewhat isolating, none of us are ever alone as we work to enhance our abilities to provide a high-quality education for each of our students. We truly are in this together! My sons’ concern for Pointing and Spiky reminded me that when it comes to learning and growth, every relationship matters.

School communities are diverse and dynamic places. Serving them well requires genuine collaboration. In my experience, the healthiest of collaborative relationships are sustained in large part by well wishes. Like my sons and their unlikely bathroom-dwelling ant friends, authentically hoping that good things come to those you spend your time with perpetuates positive progress and trust…even, and especially in challenging times. Sounds simply…but then again, some of the most important stuff is.

So thank you for sharing in my reflections today.  Whether we’ve interacted with one another or you’re simply blog surfing…I wish you well!

Live. Learn. Lead.

 

Dream Big. Work Hard. Be Well.