Finding Inspiration at Home

By Dave Veale

Being a coach, an entrepreneur and an ‘eternal optimist’ are probably reasons that I find myself continually searching for inspiration. I have found many sources of inspiration in books (e.g. Steve Martin: 'Born Standing Up'), movies (e.g. It’s A Wonderful Life) and sporting endeavours (e.g. John Challis: Courage + Belief = Life). These are brilliant stories about people overcoming adversity and winning despite huge obstacles. The kind of stories that leave me asking myself – ‘am I really playing big?’

While these are fantastic places to find inspiration I’ve recently been reminded that I should also be looking closer to home to be inspired. In this case the source of my inspiration comes from an amazing kindergarten teacher. Being a kindergarten teacher, I believe, takes an extraordinarily patient person who is passionate about making a difference in children’s lives by providing them with an educational and social foundation to grow from. No easy task! Sometimes, as was the case this last school year, it also involves helping children make sense of a tragedy.

This particular kindergarten class lost a beautiful child in a terrible car accident this winter. The class, school and the community mourned her death as well as the death of her younger brother and her father. While most of us moved on, the kindergarten class was reminded of their classmate’s death each day as her chair remained empty for the rest of the year.

The children, I learned, had many questions about where their classmate was and what she was doing. I cannot even begin to imagine how challenging it must have been for this teacher to grieve her student’s death while still remaining upbeat and emotionally available to the rest of the class. It was an unbelievable gift to watch as she and her teaching partner helped the class come to terms with the fact that their classmate was not coming back and at the same time finding ways to continue to celebrate her life and her place in the class as a student.

I had the privilege of attending the year-end kindergarten recital where this amazing teacher made a point of introducing a song the class sang every morning since the tragedy. When it may have been easier to let this point slip by unannounced (how many times have we stayed silent in occasions like this?) – she found the strength to say the following:

“I think that sometimes, as parents and teachers, we are so focused on everything we have to teach our children that we forget that we have a lot to learn from them as well - about loving every moment and finding joy in the little things.
At a time when we were all missing our friend very much and trying hard to find a way to go on we began to start our school day with our ‘Good Morning’ song.
There is something about looking out at all these smiling faces, singing about how wonderful it is to be here together, that has helped us to look forward and see the possibility and hope in each day.
We hope you enjoy this song as much as we do.”

As you can imagine, there was not a dry eye in the room. What a wonderful way to honour a life that was far too short.

This inspirational teacher happens to be my wife, and in her quiet and very determined way, she acts as a powerful reminder to me that I do not have to look too far to be inspired. Thanks, ME.

If you have a moment, please fill out a quick survey (5 questions) and let me know your thoughts on being inspired.