Today as I mull over the word extraordinary, my Dad comes to mind.
Photo courtesy of Dan Hagenow Video Creation, LLC.
Actually, Dad and this tree behind his house.
Dad helped his mom plant this beauty years and years ago, and,
it provided an epic backdrop to the glorious sunsets behind his home.
It also gave them some seasonal shade on the porch
and a place to for their birds to nest and feed.
But int he past few years, as it has been slowly dying off,
Dad has pruned it in an attempt to save what he could.
But this spring, it lost its battle and Dad had to say goodbye.
Or did he?
Since my Dad has always been a little extra, he decided to hire a carver to see what he might find inside of the trunk of his beloved friend. Inspired by the squirrels that use our backyard in Texas as their playground, he asked for the woodsman to find him a few of those furry rodents.
And, sure enough, there they were.
looked for and found something extra in the ordinary.
Lemons into lemonade, am I right?
And it makes me think of Caitlin Clark's upcoming picture book.
I've already ordered my copy, have you?
Based on a quote that hung on her mirror in her childhood bedroom:
The difference between ordinary and extraordinary ...
is the little extra.
Her rhyming text reminds kids to add a pinch of extra every day.
Just a pinch.
Because the little things in life become the big things,
micro habits matter. Big time!
Listen to Caitlin talk about its meaning {here}.
Caitlin wants kids to know that they're
never alone as they're chasing their dreams.
After sharing the story with students, encourage them to research CC22.
When did her dream to play in the WNBA start?
What did her workouts to realize that dream entailed?
Invite them into a discussion about resilience and perseverance. Caitlin Clark only played 13 games in Season 2 when an injury sidelined her. How would they feel if that happened to them? Would they still go to all of the games? What would they want? What would they need?
Encouragement? Support? Compassion? Empathy? Understanding?
How might a little extra of that help?
How do they think it would feel to rise up as a superstar WNBA Rookie of the Year, then always be held to the high standard that she sets while being compared to the peers in her league who've been there up to a dozen years? Again, step into her shoes. What would they want or need?
And speaking of shoes ... her signature shoes are about to drop,
this October, just before her book comes out in November.
She is something extra, for sure, and she always gives
her very best, leaving everything she's got out on the court,
a stellar role model for athletes everywhere ... young and old ...
who strive to be a little extra ... just like her.
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