The Lion inside

Who are you inside? What do you have the potential to become? What if everything in the world seemed to go against you?

Growing up, Dave and I both absolutely loved reading. Both of us could often be found reading constantly when not outside playing. We chose to read, and our parents encouraged us to do so. Last year, when we decided to help contribute to the community, we were drawn to Community 4:12 and the Brady Book Club.

Brady Elementary is in East Aurora, an impoverished area where families value getting a job instead of finishing school, or taking care of your siblings instead of doing homework. Every Tuesday, we get a chance to make a difference by sharing our love of reading with these kids.

Grade school kids have a lot of energy, and it is hard to get the kids to sit down for an hour to read. Dave and I would sometimes get frustrated with some kids acting up, but when we left, we always left with a smile. We saw kids making leaps and bounds with their reading. There are kids who really wanted to get better at reading, and they were really trying hard. Every once and a while, we could catch a glimmer of who we were as kids. I personally love being called "teacher" and being asked a question. I love helping kids learn how to pronounce words and understand what they are reading.

But it is more than that, we are helping little kittens become lions. We are helping them overcome shyness by reading aloud. We try to build up their confidence in reading as much as possible. The kids are learning to love learning, and every little bit helps when the whole world is against them. The truth is we don't know who is getting more out of our little book club, us or the kids.

We need help. There is not enough people to sit down with the kids to give them the attention we want to give, and that they deserve. The school year is almost up, but come fall, a bunch of kids are really going to appreciate being told they can be more than just kittens, they can be lions.

I love hearing my lions roar.