One of my favorite Latin quotes is Esse Quam Videri.
It is the state motto of North Carolina.
It is inscribed on the side of my college ring from UNC-CH.
It simply means ”To be, rather than to seem.”
In Trevor’s Dictionary of Latin Words (🙂), it means “The essence is more important than the video.”
And that’s not so simple, is it?
We live in a society that is upside down from this beautiful way of being, huh?
All of our senses are hit every minute of every day with the message Videri Quam Esse, “To seem, rather than to be,” “The video (photoshopped of course) is more important than the essence.”
But today one of my students reminded me of Esse Quam Videri.
She reminded me of the essence of teaching.
She reminded me of the essence of being a teacher.
“Here Mr. Barton,” she smiled at the end of the day. “This is for you.”
She handed me a handmade letter.
Oh how I love these kinds of letters.
See what she created.
Hear what she said.
Dum Spiro Spero.
While I breathe, I hope.
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