Be Kind with a Greeting
A greeting can make a difference in a person’s life, especially when that person is experiencing hardships. A friendly, warm “hello” can improve a person’s mood. I have learned through my travels in life that speaking with a smile to people, even people I do not know, brings joy to my heart, and hopefully helps the other person feel appreciated. Ellen Degeneres always mentions on her show to “be kind to others” and I agree with this sentiment. Each day, I begin with Greeting God and asking for Wisdom and to be used by Him in any way, and I believe that the main way God uses me is by helping others. I never want anyone to walk away from an interaction with me feeling humiliated or negative. As an educator, I am constantly surrounded by young people, parents, and co-workers, and I always want my interactions to be positive, impactful, and refreshing. I begin each interaction, though, with a greeting.
A Greeting Should Create Positivity
A greeting sets the stage for whatever interactions that will take place between people. For me, a positive greeting gets my students ready for learning. Some of my students come to school carrying heavy loads of worry to school, so if I can at least get them to forget their personal worries for a few minutes and get them engaged in high-quality learning experiences, then maybe the love of learning will become more of an interest than their worries. Not only do I greet my students and their families, but also when I am out in the grocery store or shopping center, I greet the cashiers, clerks, and other customers. With so much hatred going on in the world, I charge myself with the task of creating positive interactions that will become contagious and spread to everyone; defeating the evil that lurks. A greeting creates the positive moments in life.
A Greeting Should be Impactful (Impressive, stunning, Poignant..)
When I greet I am sincere and caring; I want to know how the other person is truly feeling. As I write this post, I am reminded of a building engineer that serviced my school, who recently and unexpectedly passed away. We would greet each other early in the morning with a smile and ask how the other was doing. Some mornings we would each say we were doing well, with a smile and go on with our day, and then there were those mornings where we would stop for a few minutes share about how good God has been to us, and despite our trials or difficulties we were still Blessed. A greeting provided me an opportunity to share positivity with another person. An impactful greeting can never be forgotten; I still recall several impactful greetings I have had with other people throughout my lifetime. A greeting can open the door for another individual to seek counsel or consolation. A greeting can start friendships and even mend friendships; it all begins with a greeting. As a result of greeting my students, several of my students have begun sharing parts of their lives with me; some even ask, “how is your day going?” I make it my habit to greet each of my students and colleagues each day, it may be the only positive interaction they receive. My students also like when I greet each of them by name as they walk in the door, it makes them feel important. Impact someone’s life with a greeting.
A Greeting Should be Refreshing
A greeting should be fun, uplifting, and sincere. I always greet with a smile, even on days that I may not be feeling so refreshed myself. My greetings are extremely upbeat when I greet my middle school students; I may sometimes include a “high five.” Just the other morning I gave a celebratory greeting to one of my students for making it to class (1st period) and being on time; the student had been experiencing some personal struggles at home. She greatly appreciated my celebration and the other students entering in class celebrated the accomplishment of their peer too. The student felt important and loved by her me and her peers. Several of my students are dealing with several of life’s issues at home and just in general, and if my classroom can be one less place filled with trials and issues, then maybe learning can take place. I also have another student who began the school year somewhat later than the other students, and I noticed that his behavior is gauged on my greetings. If I appear too busy to greet him before school begins then he becomes immediately frustrated and angry, or at least his behavior appears to be more negative; however, when I make time to greet him when he first arrives to school and check in with him reminding him of the school rules and expectations, then he is able to get through his day in a more positive way; it’s like he needs reassurance that I care, and it begins with a greeting. I also have to end the day the same way, checking in to see how his day progressed. Provide refreshing greetings to others and remember to smile while greeting.
In conclusion, greetings should be positive, impactful, and refreshing to change lives in a positive way. We must care for one another, and I always tell my students, “sharing is caring.” Sharing a warm greeting with another person is a way of showing how much you care about them as well. Remember, God has charged us with loving each other in the same way as we love Him. So share your care and love through a greeting and smile with it!