My daughter handed me her school progress report. It was filled with positive check marks, except for one that stood alone.
“How am I doing, Mom?” she asked with a seriousness that didn’t quite match the small, messy little person looking up at me through smudged glasses sliding down her nose. She pointed to her teacher’s neatly written comment beside that single check mark.
It said: “Distracted in large groups.” But I already knew this about her—long before it appeared on paper. Since she was a toddler, she’s always noticed the world in her own thoughtful way.
After pointing out all the good marks, I read her the comment. She gave a small, unsure smile and admitted, “I do look around a lot.”
Before she could feel even a hint of shame, I knelt down so we were eye to eye. I didn’t want her to just hear my words—I wanted her to feel them. I said:
“Yes. You do look around a lot. You noticed Sam sitting alone with a skinned knee on the field trip, and you went to comfort him.
You noticed Banjo had a runny nose, and the vet said it was lucky we brought him in when we did.
You noticed our waitress was working very hard and suggested we leave her an extra tip. You noticed Grandpa walking slower than the rest of us and waited for him.
You notice the beautiful view every time we cross the bridge to swim practice.
And you know what? I don’t ever want you to stop noticing—because that is your gift. It’s a gift you give to the world.”
She smiled, her face glowing with acceptance, and I realized something: her way of seeing the world could make it better.
We are all just waiting for someone to notice—our pain, our scars, our fears, our joy, our wins, our courage.
And the one who notices is a rare and beautiful gift.
~Rachel Macy Stafford, author of Hands Free Life
Artist unknown
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