Examples of Courage for Students

The water was clear as glass.

The air was still.

PERFECT rowing conditions for our two youngest sons and their rowing crew.

Picture this: three double rowing boats, one single boat and a coach in a small safety boat.

The rowing crew set to practice on perfect water- four boats rowing in slightly different directions, coach flitting back and forth between each team.

Our sons, Sam and Stephen were in one of the double boats and are the strongest on the water this year.

Practice was half way complete.

The boats were far away from shore and my youngest son got a “sick feeling” in the pit of his stomach.

We call it a “check” in our family.

Just as he was about to call out to the coach, BOOM!!

A direct downward gust of wind slammed the water and turned the glass into a churning pool of disaster.

The air went from still to sustained downward blasts over 20 knots.

(These boats are unsafe when winds are over 8 knots!)

My sons laughed for a split second, and then clicked into protective mode. Their team was in DANGER!

It was a mad dash.

My sons rowed straight for the typical shoreline, and helped one of the boats to shore.

Then one sprinted to the opposite shoreline about 1/4 mile away to help the new crew while the other helped other teammates get the boats out of the water.

Coach had her hands full helping the single rower boat because he was bobbing up and down like a cork trying desperately to stay right-sided.

As the boys were telling the tale to me later, the hair was standing on the back of my neck.

This could have been the day that 2 of my sons drowned!

Instead, it was a day of relief and pride.

My youngest son ran the 1/4 mile to reach the newbie crew.

He raced into the water, grabbed the boat and dragged them to shore.

“Everything became about saving the newbie crew” he told me later.

After the team was on dry-ish land, their heartbeats settled.

My youngest son looked the new crew in the eyes  and grinned.

When you tell this “near death tale” later, here’s some advice:

• Tune it down for your mom
• Turn up the excitement for your dad
• And when you tell your friends? FULL drama. Add 10 foot waves and sharks into the story.

LOL

Homeschooling and teaching in classrooms has little to do with actual academics.

Oh, they’re important, the same way car insurance is important.

Our kids need to be critical thinkers.

They need compassion, mercy, and a healthy dose of courage.

Not all of our kids will sprint a 1/4 mile to run into crazy water to save wide-eyed teammates.

And that’s not the point either.

We need to educate the whole child.

We need to focus on a gentle and balanced education for the whole child, including body, mind, and spirit.

I am so thankful that my boys’ adventure ended in a way that I can smile and be proud of how they responded.

This could have been a very different message.

And yet, I want you and I to keep our eye on the ball.

Strength, Character, Attitudes, Grit, determination- these are the ingredients we want to add to our child’s lives.

And it takes years- decades even.

Hug your kids.
Celebrate the big and little things that highlight character.

You can teach them to divide fractions in an afternoon when they are 14-16.

But character?

That will take a full focus effort.