I wrote a blog about belonging in May. Feeling like we belong and are included can help us feel connected with the people in our lives. Quickest way I know to help someone feel like they belong is to show you care about them. Caring can be expressed with a gesture like a smile, words, and/or actions.

“To plant a garden is to dream of tomorrow.” ~Audrey Hepburn

When we were on our holiday travels with my parents, they turned their cell phones off on the ship during our polka cruise. Nobody could reach them for a week when we were on the Atlantic ocean. Their neighbor in Seattle and I are friends. She reached out to me out of concern for them. She forgot they were on a cruise. She had visited their house multiple times and called them with no replies. Very unusual behavior from my parents that had her worried. Her kindness in connecting with me to check on them showed how she cares for them. I love her for doing that for my parents and our family.

Caring is an important element in the early childhood profession. We need to care and be cared for by others.