Promises, Promises
Swen Nater

“Daddy?” my daughter said to me when she was young. “Can we go to the fair?”
“Yes,” I replied.
“When?”
“I’ll take you this coming Saturday.”
“Promise?”
“Yes,” I said, “I promise.”

Promises are promises. When we promise, we must be careful that what we promise, we can deliver. But when we impeccably and consistently do deliver, that example can have an amazing effect on the young people we promise things to.

As a father, I knew it was important to keep every promise I made to my children. It was common sense and the right thing to do. But I didn’t fully realize the importance of being “a man of my word,” until I became a teacher. Always doing what you say you’re going to do can help positively shape the lives of those under your supervision. If the following anonymous poem is true,

No written word, no spoken plea
Can teach our youth what they should be,
Nor all the books on all the shelves.
It’s what the teachers are themselves.

the character you display to your students, on a day-by-day basis, can teach more than all the books in a library, all the lectures in a classroom, or all the practice sessions in a gym or on a field. With that in mind, keeping promises is one of the most powerful teaching tools available. I’ve thought of three ways that show how keeping your word, helps young people learn some valuable lessons. You can probably think of more. 

Trust: They learn to trust you and that breaks down walls. That’s when learning takes place. Also, trusting you will help them learn to trust others. Trusting others is a key to a peaceful life. Coach Wooden said, “It’s better to trust and be disappointed once in awhile, than not to trust and be miserable all the time.”

Love: They learn that you love them. That means you care enough about them to keep that promise. In turn, they learn that love is not just something you say; it’s something you do.

Value: They learn they are valuable to you. Consistently keeping promises to young people, communicates in a very clear way, they are important to you and therefore they have value. Why? Because you thought enough of them to keep your word. 

“Daddy?”
“Yes,” I replied.
“Thanks for taking me to the fair today.” 
“You’re welcome, Sweetie. There’s nothing I would have rather done.”