Springtime and the Education of the Heart

I was walking my dog in the cul-de-sac across from my subdivision tonight and noticed something different on the block. Homemade signs, streamers, and balloons were tacked to the majority of the homes. They all had the same message..."Welcome Home ****" and "We Missed You!"

I wondered if the signs were for a soldier coming home from the war, but as I walked along, I noticed some of the family members were listed on the "welcome home" greetings. A woman I've seen walking previously came along with her dog and told me this was to welcome home a family due home tonight. The young son (age 4) has been receiving chemotherapy treatments for nine months in Virginia and the family was returning as the treatment was finished.

She told me the neighbors were extremely supportive of each other and they were thrilled the family was finally returning. As I resumed my walk, I thought this was a lovely tribute to this family and showed how much the neighbors cared for each other.

It's imperative to remember the people involved in life's challenges and not lose sight of what is most important in life. This is from a previous posting, "Thanksgiving and the Education of the Heart":

This was a visible way for children to show the thankfulness they have for others and the understanding of the importance of each individual. That's the education of the heart. There is no mandate, testing assessment, or money needed to teach children what's most important in being a successful student or person. The government can't demand it. The student has to will it, nurture it, and become it under the guidance of adults who want to help shape the character of that student.

It was a wonderful reminder to see messages from the heart in a suburban St. Louis cul-de-sac tonight.