Recently I read a book (can you believe it?!) called "The Promise of a Pencil" by Adam Braun. My boss encouraged my coworkers and I to read it and there may have been some money involved BUT I read it within 24 hours of the deadline (procrastination is my middle name) and I actually learned a lot from it. It went along with what has been on my mind for awhile now. How lucky I am.
The first chapter is titled "Why be normal?" and talks about how he was raised and what his parents expected of him. Speaking about his dad, "we knew his crazy temper and strict discipline were just forms of tough love." Whenever he or his siblings questioned something their dad would reply with "Braun's are different." I loved that and even remember my dad saying something similar a time or two. He goes on to talk about how his family migrated to the U.S. When his grandmother was 14, she and 27 of her family members including her mother and 12 year old sister were forced from their home in Hungary and placed in a concentration camp in Auschwitz. Upon their arrival, they were lined up to go left or right. Her entire family was ordered to go left but she was ordered to go right because she was of working age. Being young and scared, she refused to leave her mother and sister's side so the Nazi's beat her until she was unconscious. She later found out her entire family were sent to the gas chambers, killed, and cremated the day of their arrival. Yet she persevered and survived the camp and got married and had children, one of them being Adam's dad. Think about what would have happened if his grandmother didn't have the will to survive? Just incredible.
In his mid-twenties he spent some time abroad so he could be "challenged" and "know what it's like to be truly uncomfortable" so he signed up for a 100 day Semester at Sea program where he would backpack throughout ten different countries. He writes, "Many of us spend our entire lives in the same bubble - we surround ourselves with people who share our opinions, speak the way we speak, and look the way we look. We fear leaving those familiar surroundings, which is natural, but through exploration of the unfamiliar we stop focusing on the labels that define what we are and discover who we are." He decided he would ask one child per country, "If you could have anything in the world, what would you want most?" He of course expected to hear "a flat-screen TV," "an iPod," etc. The first little girl he asked replied with, "To dance!" He laughed and asked her again and she replied again with, "To dance!" Another little girl in Beijing said, "A book." A little boy from Hong Kong said, "Magic." That made me smile :) But one stuck out to him the most. A little boy from India replied with, "A pencil." A No. 2 pencil is all he wanted. Can you imagine? Someone explained the boy had never been to school but had seen other children writing with pencils. He writes, "For me that pencil was a writing utensil, but for him it was a key." Throughout the rest of his trip he decided rather than giving money to the children who begged, he would give them a No. 2 pencil.
I don't want to spoil the book in case anyone wants to read it, but he basically starts a non-profit organization called "Pencils of Promise" and builds schools throughout the world so children can learn. He was only 20-something-years-old and made such a huge difference in the lives of so many. He said something in the book that I have thought often times myself, "I was born into the lottery of life with a winning ticket - a loving family, great education, good health. But what had I done to deserve any of it? Why was I born into a booming city when others are born into villages without electricity or water in war-torn nations? I was reluctant to admit it, but I felt that I owed something to those who were less fortunate, because in my mind I had never done anything to earn the good fortune I enjoyed." If you have nothing to read, read it.
It's amazing what we take for granted. Things such as water, electricity, food, the clothes on our backs, health, jobs, even something as simple as family. It's hard to really appreciate something you've always had especially when it's all you've ever known. I thank my Heavenly Father often for simple things such as this earth I have to live on, that I can see, hear, smell, taste, and touch, for allowing me to be a wife and mother, for having a temple so close, for the home I have, and even for modern day medicine that can help us heal.
My experience after having Parker has taught me to love life a little bit more. Depending on who asks, I break down and cry when telling "my story" because it's so personal. I like to think of it as an eye-opener because I have come to realize that life really is fragile. I've noticed a change in my attitude as of late. Although not perfect, I'm trying really hard to be more positive, a little more kind, patient (one of my worst suits), and understanding of others.
Mike of course has been by my side through everything and I couldn't have done it without him or the help of my family. I don't just say "he's the best husband and father ever"to make him look good, I mean it. We've had our moments just like any other married couple but he's the best and one of the most caring, positive individuals I know. He helps me with the kids so much, cleans the house, cooks, does laundry. He's quite the package! I couldn't have married someone more perfect for me. I love him.
Some may say "you're lucky", or "fortunate", or "blessed" and most of the time they're right. I'm lucky, fortunate, and blessed beyond measure for everything I have. Mike, Brielle, and Parker are my greatest blessings. I don't know what I did to deserve them but I love them with all my heart and can't imagine life any other way.
So the next time you're having a bad day remember what you have and that there are children throughout the world who want something as simple as a No. 2 pencil.
"It costs only $25 to educate a child, $500 to train a teacher, and $10,000 to build a classroom."
www.PencilsofPromise.org
