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A 3rd grade student with whom I work wants my beard to go away. Like now! Immediately! Maybe even a little previous to immediately, whatever that might be. He mentions this everyday. I keep telling him that he will need to wait until after Spring Break and then I will come back clean shaven. I was thinking about this last night and I was inspired.

The city of Minneapolis is smoldering. It is primed and ready… to erupt… into what, God only knows. But it is ready! It is MORE than ready! And the world is watching. The trial of Derek Chauvin for the murder of George Floyd has begun to seat jurors and there is a palpable negativity EVERYWHERE. Everyone, at almost every moment, is at an edge. An edge that you can feel and know is there, but you can never step away from.

I worry about MY kids. I do not have any children of my own but every single child with whom I work I consider to be MINE, with a ferocity I did not know I possess. One of MY kids wants me to shave my beard. Such a simple request. Nothing really… it is time to shave anyway. Who am I to deny such a beautifully innocent request from such a beautifully innocent soul, especially at a time of such lost innocence and possible chaos.

LM, if it makes your life better in any way, I am HAPPY (ECSTATIC, actually) to shave my beard and do one small thing for one beautiful soul in this world. Thank you for the opportunity! For the next week, two weeks, month, months and years, lifetime (hopefully), I am going to look for ways to be more kind, and DO THEM! Pretty simple really… but God knows we could use a bit more kindness here in Minneapolis these days and around the world. What are YOU going to do?

P.S. – Next week’s post will simply be one before and one after picture. I am interested in the results.