Clocking Numbers that Count

3 out of 4 = the number of posts my husband shared in July.
2 out of the last 3 = the number of former students who liked, quoted, and re-tweeted my blogs before anyone else.
100% = the percent of blogs my sister and cousin read, like, love and share.
At least 5 = the number of times my husband tells me I am beautiful, and he loves me every day.
At least 5 = the number of times my son comes to give me a hug or a kiss every day for no reason.
At least 5 and up to 10 = the number of students who eat in my classroom for lunch everyday.
At least 2 = the number of those students who never took my class but still come during their lunch breaks.
3,809 = the number of pictures in my phone of captured moments I never want to lose.
283 = the number of those moments which are actually selfies of me and someone I love.
1,230 = the number of views on my most popular blog post that I only posted on my “business” Facebook page before it went viral.

My mom subscribed to my blog this week.  My brother-in-law is the most vocal family member in support of my blog (outside of my sister of course).   I received a comment on one of my Instagram posts of a guy who asked me “what business are you in?”  He loved my page.  He thought the layout was amazing, and he wanted to know what exactly I was selling.  I laughed when I saw the comment.  I hardly knew how to respond.  I wanted to tell him I was in the inspiration business.  I wanted to tell him I was in the motivation business.  I wanted to tell him I was in the blogging business.  I wanted to tell him that every day all day, I hear the voice of God saying, “Feed my sheep.”  I wanted to tell him I am in the business of raising well-balanced children.  I wanted to tell him I was in the business of using my marriage, my career, and motherhood as a ministry.  I wanted to tell him I was in the soul-saving business.  Yet, the word business implies some sort of cost.  Everything I offer is free of charge – no products, no services, no gimmicks, no catch.

I thought I was a person who decided to write about being a mother.  Turns out, I am a mother who writes about being a person.

…

My husband lost his opening game.  Everyone there knew his team should have won.  You see, the numbers all pointed in their direction.  The stats were all stacked in their favor, but small mistakes lost them the game.  All weekend he received calls, texts, and e-mails telling him how great they were. Some parents explained how excited they were to have their son on my husband’s team. You want to know my husband’s biggest concern? … He wondered if his mom came to see him, if she made it to the game. He wanted to hear his dad say how proud of him he was as a coach. 34 years old, and the stats he cared about most were those of his parents.

When I relayed that both his mom and his dad were there and had brought along his nieces and nephews, he beamed.  I went on to explain that I was supposed to relay the message to him that his dad said, “he played a hell of a game.” I could see the excitement dancing in his eyes. Not one parent in the stands blamed the coaching or the kids. If you know football, you know that statement is monumental. For the first time in my life, I watched two teams win a football game.

 

A win is more than numbers on a scoreboard, more than dollars in your bank account, more than EOC scores on a standardized test, grades in a classroom, and points on an evaluation.  Your worth is more than likes on a post, comments on a picture, and followers on social media.

So, how can you clock numbers that count?  I am glad you asked.  My five year old, as usual, has modeled today’s lesson with perfection.

1. Show kindness to people you love.

We were reading a kid’s devotion, and the daily activity involved drawing around both hands on a sheet of paper.  On one hand, he had to name a person to whom he wanted to show kindness. I was in teacher mode, prepared to go through a list of potential people for him.  His answer threw me off guard.  “Mommy.”  He wanted to show kindness to me.  On the next hand, he had to write how he wanted to showcase that kindness.  And I waited for him to say picking up his toys, helping with the laundry, or putting away the dishes.  His response, instead, was that he would play with me.  It was then I knew that he had it right.  At five, he had uncovered the secret to life.  You live the moments you love, and you love the moments you live.  If playing is how you show kindness, then you offer that to others.  Who you are and what you love to do is the greatest gift you can give to those that mean the world to you.

2.  Numbers that count are not wins and losses.

The numbers that count are not the wins and losses, but the number of times you played the game.  We play Go Ape, Hungry Hungry Hippos, Candy Land, Run Racing, Crawl Racing, Hop Racing, Hide-and-Go Seek, Tag, and so many more.  No one keeps score.  No one remembers who wins from game to game.  The experience is where all the fun is.  So right before we begin an activity, my son gives me a number of the times we will play.  “We are going to do the racing game five times mommy.” Or, “after this one, we have to do two more because Mya [my daughter] is two years old.”

If only adults could be taught this same logic.  We clock the numbers that count by living ordinary life just as we are and creating as many extraordinary experiences as we can along the way.

At least 3 = the number of times I talk to my sister daily.
50% = the percentage of my Instagram followers who are former students.
100% = the number of holidays I have spent with friends or family.

0 = the numbers of times I have regretted putting off grading papers, or cleaning the house, or blogging to cuddle with my husband, to play 25 rounds of a random game my children made up, to talk with my sister, cousin or best friends.

In creating the life you love, make sure you create moments which clock the numbers that count.

…

What about you?  What are some numbers you clocked this week that counted?

Comment below or connect with me: Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Snapchat: mrsbonnaffons.

Join me in my journey to clock numbers that count!