All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten

 

All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten is a poem by Robert Fulgham.  The poem starts off like this:

Most of What I really need

to know about how to live

And what to do and how to be

I learned in Kindergarten.

Recently my son started kindergarten and I have the pleasure to take him to school most mornings.  Every morning I usually get a new joke, a question that I usually do not know the answer, a lesson on what he learned the day before or a story about one of his new friends.  It is crazy because a month has gone by in an instant.  

This made me think….

What else has gone by in an instant?  

Am I missing anything (Big or Small)?

I referred to this poem to start this blog because it took my kindergarten son to make me slow down and think to see what I am missing.  Just like a majority of the world, I was going through a routine of work, home, weekend, paycheck, pay bills and repeat.  As life was passing me by it took my son to open my eyes to see what I was missing.  While on a regular field trip to the grocery my son said dad let’s get some flowers for mom.  This was not out of the ordinary but something I have not done in a while and made me think of the happiness created by a simple gesture.  

Simple gestures are often not in our everyday routine that brings joy to both the giver and receiver.  This also made me think maybe I need to change my routine a little and see what type of simple gestures I can make in home and my community.  My next simple gesture is to make a donation to a non-profit in the community but not of my choice but that of my kindergarten son.  

Maybe everything I need to know I did not learn in kindergarten; however it took me a kindergartener to remind me of the things I forgot.