Thought of the Day 12.10.09

Yesterday, I had a really neat opportunity to be a “celebrity” judge for a grade school spelling bee. Recalling my own somewhat mixed emotional memories from childhood spelling bees, I was eager to see how the process looked through adult eyes. I was not disappointed.

The most notable thing was the way the kids responded to the spellers. They were all soundly applauded when introduced. Then, every time someone got a word right, the place erupted with nearly deafening claps and hoorays. And whenever someone got a word wrong, the whole audience sighed in sadness, as if to say, “We’re sorry, too, and we’re with you.” This was of course immediately followed by reaffirming applause for having tried their best, despite failure. And then, predictably, there was a final round of applause for all the competitors at the end.

I obviously can’t know whether it would have been any different in another venue, but I do know one thing for sure: this environment of support and encouragement was extremely satisfying to find in a Christian grade school.