I.M.A.G.I.N.E.

As providers we can get bogged down with the day-to-day challenges we face:  parents who are late with payments, children that bite, family members who are less than supportive of our chosen profession, and a long list of other things too long to list.  Often when faced with the day-to-day issues we lose sight of the importance of our work.

To help myself remember the role I play as a provider I try to live my life by one simple word:  Imagine.  In my life imagine stands for "I make a genuine impact - NO exceptions!"  This reminds me that whatever I say or do has an impact on the children in my care.

Every once in a while a child comes a long who makes a strong impact on us.  For me that was Madi.  Madi came to our program as a brand-new, six week old little bundle of adorable.  From the first moment I held her I was hooked.  I knew she was one of those children I would never forget.  What I didn't realize at that moment was that I would be a person in her life whom she would not forget.

Madi was in our program until she was old enough to go off to kindergarten.  The weeks leading up to her leaving were hard on all of us.  There would be days where there were tears, days there was laughter, and days where we just spend quiet time together.  After she started Kindergarten she would call us just to check in - let us know how school was going for her and see how things were going for us.

One night during a Parent's Night Out event at our child care our doorbell rang.  I opened the door to find Madi's bright, smiling face.  Madi's mom apologized for not calling but explained Madi had made something for me and wanted to surprise me with it.

This picture was my gift.  I took it from her speechless.  Madi had no way of knowing that I had just finished a particularly difficult child care week and was actually questioning whether or not what I did truly made an impact.  With one small gesture she reminded me that everything I did was for a reason.  It was the answer I needed - yes I do make a difference!

In these uncertain times in the early care and education field it is more important than ever that we as providers remember that we do make a difference!  We touch the lives of the future everyday.  Everything we say, everything we don't say, everything we do, everything we don't do, makes an impact.  The questions we need to ask ourselves everyday are, "Did we make a positive impact?  A lasting impact?  Did we do all we can do to be the best provider we can be for the children in our care?"