Sunday, January 23, 2011

Planting Mangoes

I found this story  many years ago.  I keep a copy over my desk as a reminder that I may never see nor experience the seeds of education I plant in the minds of my students each day, but I believe that what I do for them in my classroom is invaluable to their development into adults who think critically, communicate effectively and work collaboratively to make positive change in this world that we share.     
It was time for the monsoon rains to begin and a very old man was digging holes in his garden
“What are you doing?” his neighbor asked.
“Planting mango trees” was the reply.
“Do you expect to eat mangoes from those trees?”
 
“No, I won’t live long enough for that.  But others will. 
 It occurred to me the other day that all my life I have enjoyed mangoes planted by other people.  This is my way of showing them my gratitude.”

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