the little things.

You've probably seen me mention the YMCA's core values a time or two in this blog or in conversation. Our four core values, Caring, Honesty, Respect and Responsibility, are the building blocks for all that we do. Often I find myself thinking of these values in a grand fashion, with a hope that something we're doing here at the YMCA will miraculously change the world overnight. Now I'm not saying we shouldn't think on a grand scale. Surely some of the most successful entrepreneurs, spiritual leaders and great accomplishers have thought on a scale and scope that is bigger and grander than some of us can even begin to comprehend (me included!).

The thing that I forget about though, and by working here at the Y, am often reminded, is that you can witness really great things in the small acts, or in what can be perceived as something simple. Our Assistant Youth Director, Jeff Lloyd, is quite a well-known at our YMCA. He has for the past few years, been the director at Camp Clearwater, and can be seen with our afterschool kids on a daily basis, among other things. He's a great asset to our Y and to the community. Jeff has the unique opportunity to spend lots of time with our kids in programs here and occasionally will share a story from his experiences. Some are cute, some are hilarious, but they're all entertaining. Recently he shared this one with me:

Our Core Values are taught to our YMCA After School participants each day through a devotion time. Our counselors use quotes and stories to give the children examples of how to implement Caring, Honesty, Respect and Responsibility in their lives. Just when I start to wonder if the kids are catching on, if they're listening to the lessons we teach, they up and surprise me. Several weeks ago, as I walked six kindergarten children to the playground so that they could get a drink of water from our cooler, I noticed that there were cups and snack wrappers on the ground, so I started picking up some trash without saying anything to the kids. I noticed that each child was drinking their cup of water when they started seeing what I was doing. As I was picking up the trash on the ground, some of the children began to talk about “Mother Nature” if she were an actual person. One child said, “Mother Nature is so disappointed in us right now, we are harming her.” They all started giving real, honest statements about “Mother Nature.” At this point, I was hooked. They had my heart. The children then began walking around and picking up trash, without me asking. I told them that I was so proud of them and that they were displaying the responsibility core value and I walked them back to their group. This brightened my day, and reminded me of why we do what we do.

Caring, Honesty, Respect, Responsibility. For some people, these are simply words. But at the YMCA, they are the core values we teach and practice each day. Not just a way of thinking, but an integral part of who we are - as natural as opening our eyes each morning to greet the day.

To find out more about the YMCA, who we are, and what we do, visit our website or stop in for a visit.