simplicity

"To laugh often and much, to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children, to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends, to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others, to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch...to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded!" -Emerson

I think I say this a lot, but nothing puts me in a better mood than little kids. (Or sometimes, big kids). The best part of my day is usually when I go early to the dj and get to see Daniel...he and Sammy win for the best hellos.

I currently teach 7 students privately, and my youngest is this tiny 7 year old girl "L". She's incredibly bright and ridiculously talented for someone so young - it's been so exciting working with her because she has so much positive energy and potential oozing out of her.

She's testing for her red belt this Saturday, so we've been focusing on spinning hook kicks and variations thereof. It's probably one of the toughest kicks to learn in TKD, and very few people do it correctly. The way I teach is extremely methodical - I like to break everything down into steps...it generally helps with little kids. So "L" comes running into the dojang this morning with a huge grin and waving a piece of paper.

"Look, I made this for you!"

When I get to work on Monday I'll have to scan it in - it's a drawing called "spinning hook kick" with illustrations and explanations step-by-step of how to do a spinning hook kick. Including all the things that I harp on her about. Quite possibly one of the cutest things I've ever received, it will have to go up on my wall next to the "I love eemoh" birthday card Sammy drew me.

She invited me to her 8th birthday party in January...haha, I wonder what kiddie birthday parties are like these days. Gosh...there's something just so rewarding about teaching a child and something special in the ways that they show they love you. I like teaching adults too, and teenagers, but...little kids are so honest and innocent...the age where you don't think so much about what you say and what it might mean...you just say what you mean. There's no pretense to what they do, they just do it.

Sometimes I wish I could just return to that simplicity...there is something so pure about the affection of children.