IT'S THE SMALL THINGS
While the rainy season is clearly upon us, and as thunder roars more often than not these days, a lot of schools have also begun their summer breaks. This got me nostalgic, and thinking about my student days when I still had summer break as part of my annual agenda. It was a time we all looked forward to, and looking back now, I realized that some of my most meaningful and transformative times took place during my summer breaks. It was a length of time spent in a multitude of ways, and as I look back and reminisce, I would not have had it any other way.
We were fortunate enough to spend a few weeks of our summer vacation on travels with the family, and looking back, a lot of my fondest memories were made during those trips. Although travel is costly, at the end of the day I realized that memories that you make are forever – these will, and can never be taken away from you. The exposure to different cultures, different places, and just being able to go beyond the confines of your home, and your daily routine, will educate you in an incomparable way. In expanding your horizons, it also builds character.
A chunk of my summers as a child was spent working in my mom’s office – from filing to stapling papers, printing, delivering notes, answering the phone – and although my tasks were confined to clerical ones, just having the responsibility of delivering output, and having to work for that extra peso instilled discipline in us, and exposed us to a world beyond our classrooms. It gave us the opportunity to interact with different people, and taught us proper decorum, propriety in an office setting, and how to essentially be a team player.
As I grew older, I chose to spend my summers building houses with Habitat for Humanity. Purposeful, meaningful and definitely one that exposed me to the reality of others, those summers were some of the most eye awakening experiences in my life which I did not realize then would pave the path in allowing me to realize my passions and greater cause. Not only did it teach me to count my blessings a thousand fold, it exposed me to the core of Filipino culture at its purest – bayanihan and family.
Whether children choose to spend their summers pursuing crafts, hobbies, or certain activities, or if parents choose to dictate how, I encourage them to stay productive in whatever way, shape, or form. Take the time as an opportunity to try things out and learn from others. Take it as an extension of the classroom, and a chance to essentially “try out” the real world while there is ample room for error. The more exposure one gains, the more choices are open to them, and the sooner he/she realizes what it is they really want to pursue in the future – or at least, that is the goal.