Welcome back

There are few things in this life that make me happier than when someone I have not seen in a while gives me a call just to catch up or if I run into an old friend I have not seen in a long time.  Especially if when I see them they have a big smile on their face that matches mine, because they are just so happy.  The reason that is because when that happens I know that that is a person on whom I made an impact.

What is even better is when it is an old student who has not been around in a while coming back in and saying that they want to start up classes again.  Because they are someone who first came, or whose family first came, to have them learn martial arts from us.  This is not a person who I grew up with, or have spent long amounts of time with outside class, so when they come back it means that I and the members of the school must have done something to make an impact on their lives.  In fact, almost any former member I run into seems to always be happy to see me or to visit the school which leads me to the conclusion that the time that students spend here leaves a lasting imprint.

Sometimes I forget that very simple but powerful quote from Dr Suess:

“To the world you may be one person; but to one person you may be the world.”

Times like this remind me that what we build here is not just respect, confidence, and physical skill, but also a community and sense of belonging.  This is a place where students can be who they are and families can connect to make friendships that lasts long past black belt.