No baby news yet. We’ll keep you posted.
While we are waiting on Madison (Madi) Ryleigh Smith to say hello, I’d like to write about another Madi that we know.
take a quick glance with me back in time—back ten, twenty, or even forty years, when you were a youngster.
Do you remember someone who mentored you? Spent time with you? Invested in you?
That’s quite the meaningful memory, isn’t it?
In the past year or so, Sarah has been experiencing the joy of mentorship, not just with the kids she teaches in her Sunday school class but with individual kids, as well. One of those kids is our sweet little friend, Madi.
Madi and her grandma, Wanda, go to our church, and Madi is always eager to be in any drama, dance, or musical opportunity that comes along. Here she is in our Easter drama.
Just recently, I’ve started giving her piano lessons and she is so excited about that because she loves music.
Since Madi also loves writing and telling stories, Sarah has been working with her on writing scripts, shooting videos and editing the videos. Like Nathan, Sarah is a natural teacher and loves sharing her knowledge.
And in between the piano and video lessons, every once in a while, Sarah and I grab Madi and take her off on an adventure.
Last summer, we went to Columbia, NC, to a nature walk and a museum.
Last winter, Madi enjoyed the snow on our back deck.
When the weather warmed up, Sarah took her to the sound for some by-the-water-walking.
Our most recent adventure took place last month when I had an appointment in Norfolk. Since Sarah didn’t have to work that day, she and I hatched up a plan for Madi to go along so that she and Sarah could go to the Norfolk Zoo while I was at my appointment.
Here they are leaving the zoo, tired but happy.
After they had gotten back in the car, Madi politely inquired as to whether or not there might be a mall anywhere nearby.
Well, as it turns out, there was. And so off we went!
Madi had never been in a glass elevator and was completely entranced.
And as it turns out, she had never been on an escalator, either. Big adventure!
All three of us were delighted when we discovered that the mall had a Barnes and Noble. Life doesn’t get much better than getting to do some bookstore browsing.
Toward the end of the 2-hour drive back home, Madi conked out in the back seat, full of happiness and memories.
And you know what?
When you get a chance to make a kid happy, it makes your own heart happy.
Investing in a child is investing in a future world that you won’t live to see. However, the child you mentored will. That child will take the investments of your heart, your time, and your energy and draw from them over and over in the years to come.
Which brings me back to my original question.
Did you have any mentors? Do any of them stand out to you in particular? Are there are certain lessons you learned from them? Honor your mentor today by telling us about them.
Are you a currently a mentor?
We would love to hear your mentor stories.
What a sweetie Madi is. And what a wonderful girl Sarah is to invest her life in mentoring Madi. Sarah- you spend your days well, you invest your life in the people and activities that truly matter. Your caring spirit inspires me.
In terms of a mentor in my childhood i really wish I had had one. Things were rarely easy, and I think a mentor would have made a big differnce in my life. I hope that because I know what it is like to have to face pretty difficult challenges at a very young age all alone that I can be more sensitive as an adult to be aware of the needs of those around me and to look for opportunities to do little things for people.
That said I did have a grandmother (who is now 99) who played an integral role in my lify took me under her wing and because of her I knew what it was to be loved deeply and unconditionally. What a difference she made/ makes in my life. She is now very frail, weighs less than 90 lbs, has severe dementia and lives in a care home, and so every single visit is precious. She is such a treasure to me and for my entire life has been one of the most important people in my world.
And in my adulthood I have made a point of seeking women who have played mentoring roles in my life. For example through your writing Becky you have played a mentoring role in my life.
Jenna,
I was taken aback (and honored) to think that you look on me as a mentor in your life through my writing. Thanks for sharing that with me. I am humbled!
I love that you have taken the tough experiences in your growing up years and turned them into something good, namely, a tender heart and an observant soul that looks for those around you who may need some encouragement– through a word or a kindness or even a longer term mentoring relationship.
Pastor Rick Warren has said, “God never wastes a hurt.” The difficulties in your past have not been wasted. Others have (and will continue to) benefit from your hard won wisdom and compassion.
Are we on the road yet? Car blazing down the interstate? Good Lord, the wait is endless 🙂
Lesley,
I only wish!
No labor for Meagan but her sister, Joy, had to be rushed to the hospital last night to stop HER labor pains. (She has six weeks to go yet.)
Soon!
What a lucky girl Madi is to have such an amazing family take her under their wings along with her Grandma. The joy on her face in the elevator brought a smile to my face. It is so fun to experience that “first time” encounter again through someone else. Also, I love how Sarah is holding her hand for that first ride on the escalator. That brings back memories of convincing my boys that the escalator is fun to ride and that it won’t swallow you up at the bottom when the steps disappear!!
Mel,
Hmmm. I’d never thought about being swallowed up at the bottom of an escalator. I think I may be a little afraid, now! 🙂
And you’re right about getting to experience someone’s first time encounter. A rare treat.
Looks like both had a delightful time. So happy for the feelings all get from this adventure.
Ann,
I know you and Jim do so much in the area of giving your time, energy, and resources to others so you know that wonderful feeling well!
While it may not have been true mentoring, when I was in 5th grade my teacher “took me under her wing”. She was a family friend who attended our church and lived just a few houses up the street from me and knew what I had been through the previous couple of years (my mother passed away when I was in 3rd grade, my dad remarried when I was in 4th grade and my little brother was born just before 5th grade). At least once a week I would stay after school to wash her blackboards and then we would go to the bus station soda fountain where she introduced me to chocolate Cokes. She had been a widow for many years when she taught me and soon after I had her she retired, then remarried and moved about 30 miles away. We kept in touch and she came to my high school graduation and brought me a small gift – and said she only did that for a couple of students. To this day fountain chocolate Cokes always bring fond memories of Mrs. McCall (later Mrs. Laing).
Sue Ellen,
Your story made me teary-eyed.
The kind of life-shaking events you went through in just three years (and at such an impressionable time) were incredible. What a great woman Mrs. McCall was, taking the time to notice a student who needed that little bit of extra attention during a tumultuous season of life.
Thank you for inspiring me today with your story.
(And now I want a chocolate Coke!) 🙂
It looks as if your family has semi-adopted another daughter and so Sarah has a sister!!!
Elizabeth,
Madi is a blessing to our family, for sure!
I don’t have any mentoring stories either but just wanted to say Madi reminds me of Melissa Gilbert when she played Laura Ingalls on Little House on the Prairie with her long brown braids. And as someone said earlier, she is lucky to have Sarah as a mentor and the Smith family as her mentoring family!
Somehow I hit enter too quickly and only got my e-mail and not my name on the first post.
Anonymous,
Your’e right–Madi does remind me of Melissa Gilbert. (Whom I ALWAYS loved in Little House.) What a fun connection.
Madi is blessed to have not only Sarah, but a Mentoring Family
My first year of teaching, I was an assistant in Kindergarten for Mrs. Manion. She was a perfect mentor. The next year Mrs. Rohan, the school’s owner and principal, started Junior Kindergarten so that I could have my own class, which I taught for 37 years before switching to Preschool in 2000. nothing to do with mentoring , but thought this might be interesting: Rohan Woods School was an old farm. The house had grades 1-6. Mrs. Rohan added two rooms to the first floor. The basement was the lunchroom.
The caretaker’s house was the Kindergarten and then Jr. and Sr. Kdgs. The chicken coop was for art and music. And the barn was used on rainy days for recess and the end of the year music programs.
Mrs. Manion (always called her that, not by her first name) was my matron of honor when I got married.
Mrs. Pam,
What a fascinating place you got to work! It sounds like it would be the perfect backdrop for a novel. I love hearing those kinds of details; I can just imagine the music class in the chicken coop.
Thanks so much for taking the time to share with us!
I don’t have any mentoring stories to share at the moment; I’ll need to give that some thought. I just wanted to say that Madi is just adorable and Sarah is so sweet for mentoring her. Madi looks like she had so much fun….Sarah too! 🙂
LeeAnne,
Madi is a cute kid, that’s for sure!
have to think on that but I wanted you to know that pure joy was radiating from Madi
Becky,
That’s a perfect description–pure joy.