Brightening Someone’s Day

This is the best way I can tell you about Anne Bray, the amazing and wonderful Spy Girl, she goes about brightening the day of others by sharing her incredible artistic talents. I woke to this message this morning. Talk about a pleasant surprise. I feel so honored to be generously included in her Digital Catwalk series. It will totally make your day to see her fabulous work and continues series. (Click Here). Thank you Anne for including me with these lovely women.

*When Anne sent this to me it brought back such a fond memory I thought I would share it with you. I began my career as a sixth grade elementary teacher (yes, call me crazy) and at this time I had what is called a gifted and talented endorsement, which enabled me to teach the ‘gifted and talented’ students. (I’m still trying to figure out what that all means). Anyways, one year after the test scores were all gathered I noticed one particular boy whose math and reading scored were just average but his creative scores were off the chart. I had to fight tooth and nail (with the big wigs) to have this young man in my class. I finally won and to this day, he is truly the only student I consider ‘gifted and talented’. After he realized I would accept his creative energy he flourished.  One way he would use his creativity was to arrive at school very early each day and follow me as I emerged from my car into the classroom.  As I would prepare for the day he would gather colored chalk and at one end of the chalk board sketch a picture of me and what outfit I had on that day.  It provided quite the entertainment for the day. It’s been a long, long time since I’ve had my picture sketched, so thank you Anne for bringing back such a joyful memory.

I leave you now with my all time favorite story which made me the teacher I was able to become.

                                   RED FLOWERS WITH GREEN STEMS

                                             By Helen Buckley

“Today we are going to draw pictures,” announced the teacher.

“Oh good,” thought the little boy. “I love to draw pictures. I can make cars and trucks and horses and fish and . . .”

But the teacher said, “Wait! Today we are going to draw flowers.”

“Good,” thought the little boy. “I love to draw flowers.” and he started to draw all kinds and colors of flowers.

But the teacher said, “Wait! I will show you how.” She drew a red flower with a green stem.  He thought his flowers looked better but he turned his paper over and drew a red flower with a green stem and the teacher praised him.

“Today we are going to play with clay,” announced the teacher.

“Oh good,” thought the boy.  “I love to model with clay.  I can make cars and elephants and houses and birds. . .”

But the teacher said “Wait! Today we are going to make dishes.”

“Good, thought the little boy. “I can make real good dishes,” and he began to make them in all shapes and sizes.

But the teacher said, “Wait! I will show you how.”  And the teacher modeled a deep dish from the clay.  The boy looked at the dishes he had modeled and thought they were better than the teacher’s, but he crushed them in his hands and made a deep dish from the clay and the teacher praised him.

Then the boy moved to a different school.

“Today we are going to draw pictures,” announced the teacher.  She passed out the paper and crayons but the little boy waited.  The teacher said, “Aren’t you going to draw your pictures?”

And the little boy said, “Show me what to draw.”

The teacher said, “You can draw anything you like,  If everyone drew the same picture, each of us would not be able to express his special gift.”

The boy thought a minute, took out his crayon and began to draw a red flower with a green stem.

*REMEMBER TO CELEBRATE YOUR OWN GIFTS AND TALENTS AND THEN SHARE THEM WITH OTHERS AROUND YOU.

It will surely brighten their day.