Both Sides of the Coin

I love how easy it is to sit down and write these blogs.  I never have writer's block, I never run out of ideas, and that is because I haven't run out of amazing experiences this summer.  Every day, every week is an adventure of its own where I learn new things about the world and about myself.  In particular, I want to talk about the second half of this past week.

On Thursday, we had the amazing opportunity to go visit a law firm in downtown Nashville. Not only was this law firm downtown, but it was also on the 27th floor of the First Tennessee building.  Being on the top floor of one of Nashville's tallest buildings was so cool, not just for the kids, but for my coworker and I as well.  Then four of the lawyers from that company came and talked to our kids about life, success, and the road through college while we ate Chick-Fil-A provided by the firm, quite a treat for our kids.  They were able to connect with the kids SO well.  I've never seen the kids give their attention so fully to anyone as much as they did to these four men.  It was almost like they should have made a living as motivational speakers instead of lawyers!  Afterwards, we walked to the public library a few blocks away and visited the Civil Rights Room, where we experienced an eye-opening presentation of the civil rights movement in Nashville.  That was also a really neat experience, especially for the kids as they got to see a piece of history that directly affects their lives today.

The next day, however, was one of the toughest days I've had at Preston Taylor Ministries.  It was a Friday, and that may have had a factor in the day's outcome.  We had some respect and attitude issues with the kids, and it ended up that I had to take some disciplinary action.  In the end, I had to suspend one of our kids for the next day, which is actually tomorrow since this was Friday.  It was a tough decision because this week is my last week at PTM, and this child already had plans this week, and now will not be able to come at all this week.  Essentially, I had to tell him goodbye for the summer this past Friday.  It was a tough decision, and I had to call his mom and explain it to her too, but it was the right thing to do.  Now that I look back on it, I know it was necessary and that in reality it was best for the child too, even if he does not think so.  All kids need to learn to respect others, especially in order to become a servant leader, the point of our Summer SaLT class this year.

It was quite a roller coaster weekend, going from such a great day Thursday to such a rough day Friday, but it taught me that life too has its ups and downs.  There are two sides to the coin in life, and not everything is going to work out every time.  The silver lining is present in how you handle yourself during those droughts, how you respond in the tough times, how you learn from mistakes; that is what truly fulfills life and makes the good times all the sweeter.

Finally, I gained so much more confidence in myself as a result of this weekend through the presentation at the law firm and the ordeal at PTM on Friday.  I couldn't second guess myself in that decision, and it taught me the importance of self-respect.  It's interesting how self respect is such a huge part of respecting others.  Now, I know I handled the situation properly, and I hope that every child there that day is better off because of it.  It is amazing how much I have come to care for these kids in 5 short weeks.  I am so blessed to have been a part of PTM this summer, and I can't believe I only have one more week.  Nevertheless, I will continue to love and respect these kids in the coming days, hopefully as a role model for the type of servant leaders we want them to become.

Community

This week at Preston Taylor Ministries was a busy one.  In addition to the Summer SaLT class every day, we took the kids on 3 field trips.  We went swimming, took a tour of a bank, and arranged a science experiment conducted at a Belmont University laboratory.  We also worked on a business project this week, designing a business and creating a "billboard" for each one.  The kids were exposed to many amazing opportunities this week, and hopefully, with many more to come.

In my own experience, this week was significant because on Thursday night we had a large community supper that I got to plan and organize.  All PTM kids and their parents were invited to cookout and hangout at PTM's main building.  I was in charge of creating a flyer to advertise the dinner, buying the supplies, setting up, and even helping cook!  It was quite a responsibility, but it was an enlightening experience, seeing the amount of planning and organization that goes into an event of that magnitude.

When everyone arrived, we had probably close to 75 people come and go throughout the evening.  It was a great chance to get to know the kids outside of a classroom or day-program setting and just have fun with them, as well as to meet some of their parents.  I also got to meet some older kids in the neighborhood who are involved in PTM's older program, the Calvin House.  It helped me understand even more the community I am blessed to have become a part of this summer.  Everyone was so friendly and accepting, even though I was obviously new.  It was definitely an uplifting experience and prime example of fellowship.

I am so thankful for this opportunity, and I cannot say that enough.  I have learned to take nothing for granted, especially the value of community and fellowship.  People really are stronger together, and having a community like that makes life so much better.  I am thankful for being able to expand my own personal community while also feeling included in the community of Preston Taylor Ministries.