Reflections
Tina Grzeczkowski
Chaparral, NM
Casa Maria Eugenia
November, 2006
(A graduate of Mount Saint Mary's University and a native of Pennsylvania, Tina has found her heart and her passion for teaching in Chaparral.) She writes:
The Intentions of Our Hearts
Ever since my arrival in the simple town of Chaparral, my experience with the kids has brought me to a new found understanding of the intentions of my heart. The children have helped guide me to find what is important in life.
For over the past two months,one of the kids had been showing signs of being depressed. Less and less he was showing up to our events and, when he did manage to show, he would be very anti-social and wear a sad expression that never left his face. The Sisters, Andrea, and I were all very concerned. We even heard from his mother that hehad been crying in his room almost every day. It tore my heart out.
Deciding that the only way to help him would be to talk to him in person, I invited him over to spend some time with him. He opened up to me so easily and I found out he was upset about being held back a grade in school and that, as a result, he would not be able to graduate with the rest of his friends. Ever since then, I have been working to get him back into class with his friends; and ever since then, he has been showing up to our events in addition to being a much happier kid. One day while helping him with his math homework he stopped, looked at me, and said with a smile, “Tina, you are the best person I know.” Sensing my disbelief of his strong statement, he pushed his point, “No, really… you’re the best person who ever came into my life.”
Who am I to be such an important person in his life? What did I do to win this adolescent’s affections and admiration? Then it occurred to me: what brings others to like or dislike us is determined by the nature of who we are, and who we are is determined by where our hearts are. Where are our hearts? How—and on what—we decide to spend our precious time and gifts tells the story of the intentions of our hearts. Here was an adolescent who was just waiting for someone to show him that they cared. The care that I gave him showed him that my heart was with him, which made a great impact on his life. It is for this reason that we should not be hesitant to help someone; some people are just waiting for us to show them that we care. Merely showing a little bit of love to a person can mean the world to them. As brothers and sisters in Christ, this is the calling of our hearts.
Tina works well with her team at AMA orientation.
Getting ready for life in Chaparral
Clearing out the
backyard with neighborhood kids
