Cultivating Kindness

 Liam puts a lot of pressure on himself.  A lot.  It doesn't matter if he's sitting in a desk taking a test, catching a ball at third base, or building planes out of Legos in his bedroom, he is a perfectionist. Last week this drive for perfection kicked into high gear on Wednesday night.  It was the end of the first grading period, and he had Bible memory, phonic, and spelling tests on Thursday.  Right after school, he hit the books reviewing for the tests and completing homework.  The pressure was on,  and he wasn't feeling confident in his Bible verse or spelling words.  At times like these, Liam has a tendency to shut down and/or go into melt-down mode.  And he did both.

As usual, the "Mom Pep Talk" came next,  "Liam, do you remember Jesus telling us that we need to get an A+ on every test?"
He shook his head no.
"Liam, did Jesus say that you had to memorize every single spelling word every single time?"
Again, he responded no.
"Did Jesus say to love each another and be kind to your friends and family?"
At this he said, "Yes!"
"If you listen and obey your teacher, show love and kindness to those around you, and try your hardest in school, Mama and Daddy will be happy."
He took a break, and then he was back at it.
He ended up doing great on his tests.  And when we received his report card, it was terrific.  We praised him and gave him hugs and high-fives for the academic accomplishments.
But our hearts really swelled with joy last weekend when I randomly received a call on Sunday afternoon from an individual who wanted to share two separate acts of kindness that she witnessed in Liam the previous week.  Totally made our day week, and made us happier than a year full of straight A's.  Although we know that grades and hard work are important, character development  is crucial.  It makes me think that maybe some of those pep talks are sinking in.