Giving Is A Two-Way Street🙏🏾
I give, you give.🙏🏾
Both benefit.
ITHACA, N.Y. -- I'm a brand new President's Host here at Ithaca College. That's a fancy name for tour guide haha. Since I'm fresh out the application and orientation process I'm still reading our manual, and learning everything I have to point out on the 90 minute tour of IC. I've also been shadowing tours, at least twice each week, and I'm so grateful to get to perform the pieces I know until I'm proficient in the entire college tour.
I have recently decided to wake up early on Saturdays and shadow the weekend morning tours. I'm *giving* up just a little bit of those sleep-in feels🤤 so I can one day soon give our visiting families the best tour experience possible all by myself.
At the end of the tour, families come up to say "thank you," write tour reviews, and grab our business cards so they can ask us students questions directly. Earlier this month, a family came up and offered their gratitude. With my being a Journalism major they shared that they had just went to a talk with Dan Rather, who if you don't know is a LEGEND in this business who previously anchored the CBS Evening News. They said I should really check out his blog. I have, and Dan's writing on News and Guts is powerful and moving.
Last Friday, I wrapped a tour and entered our Presidents Host office to clock out. As I was writing the time, I saw a package stamped "MEDIA MAIL" all over.
MALICK MERCIER
OFFICE OF ADMISSIONS
953 DANBY ROAD
ITHACA, NEW YORK 14850
Who in the world?? Did grandma forget my dorm room address? Lol. Hesitantly, I slowly begin to open it and it hit me..."Could it be the Dan Rather fam?" as I remembered them haha! DUDE...IT WAS!!!!
They sent a little note saying it was wonderful to meet me. It read "the future is in your hands." It was accompanied by Rather's book, What Unites Us, which I am *so* stoked to read. And the icing on the cake -- their daughter has chosen Ithaca College😋. I had to sit back in my seat and just take it all in. Wow.
I just shadowed and *gave* the parts of the tour I know. (WHICH THEY PAY ME FOR💸). Lol. And in return, I got the sweetest of notes and most precious of gifts written by a man who captured the attention of this nation to tell them the news. Had I not decided to *give* up some sleep, put on my smile😁, and open up and *offer* up my kindness after the tour, I would never have received that book -- a true blessing.
I think this is just such an important story for those days when you feel like you're not *getting* anywhere or anything. Sometimes, I think more often than not...it comes back to us. Have you *given*...ANYTHING? It doesn't even have to be a smile, I'm talking a positive grin...that counts too. 😁
PS -- I think this song is helpful in understanding all this. Enjoy!
Thank you for reading.
With ❤️and gratitude,
Malick