A few weeks ago, the Arrows took a field trip to Exodus as part of our Experiencing US Citizenship quest. Our host from the organization was exceptionally complimentary of our group and recently sent us some warm/cool/warm feedback, which I thought was pretty remarkable and worth a moment of your time to read.
What I found most powerful is what he noticed when seeing our tribe with fresh eyes. Sometimes we lose sight of the remarkable things that are happening simply because we are exposed to them every day. But when you read his comments, you’ll see that he is noticing a number of traits that the Arrows have been intentional about developing this year.
I encourage you today to try to see your child with fresh eyes as you pick them up. What do you notice? Perhaps there’s something that’s been there all along that you haven’t had eyes to see.
Here are his unedited comments:
You have a spectacular group, and as promised, I have a WCW to share with the learners:
Warm
You all are some of the brightest, powerful individuals that I’ve ever met. And this is not a “for being kids, you all are xyz” observation. This is taking into account the full spectrum of people that I’ve met over the years, accounting for age and all. You are all exceptional people, and you are well-positioned to positively change whatever sphere of influence that you’re made for.
Cool
While I loved the questions that I received in the room, I had a strong suspicion that there were more questions than were asked. I would have loved the honor of answering them. For those who had unspoken questions, I encourage you to never be afraid to ask them. I once heard it said that the wisest person in the room isn’t the one who has the most answers, but the one who has the most questions. It was a rare treat to be amongst a group so wise at heart – I would love the chance to field more questions later on.
Warm
You are all truly a tribe. You speak with one another with a remarkable mixture of assertiveness and kindness. Overall, you all exemplify a trust that is hard to come by in life. Hold onto that, and continue to build that in the world around you. You’ll come to find that you are fashioning the building blocks of a culture of relationship that the world needs, but doesn’t yet know how to obtain.