Last week, I had the honor of joining a class with 2nd and 3rd graders at the Instilling Goodness Elementary School. They had put on a bake sale earlier in the day and wanted to donate their earnings towards our high school’s Community Service Trip to Mexico over spring break this April.
Gathered in a circle, the girls took turns passing around the envelope of their earnings—sixty-two dollars in total. As the envelope went around, each child made a wish for the people in Mexico who would receive their donation. I sat there listening and found myself stunned. They had completely disarmed me with the level of maturity, awareness, and genuine kindness behind their words.
Things like:
“I hope this money helps people have better lives and treat girls better.”
“I hope this makes better lives for families and that children won’t get stolen anymore.”
“I wish that this money can help people be more happy…. and that they can have more water!”
“I hope that this helps people there have better lives.”
As the class ended, we all stood up in a circle and the girls sang a closing song that talked about virtue, compassion, and kindness. It was incredible to witness such wholesome energy radiate out into the room. As they gathered to leave, I realized how powerful it is to have spaces like these, where you can talk and tap into what it means to be a good person.