SCCTC Director's Blog

It All Adds Up!

nospam@example.com (Rick Smith) — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 06:42:49 -0500

It’s amazing to me how much small actions can influence our lives and the lives of our students – and how often little problems bring down their houses. For instance, a friendship or a seemingly strong relationship is often doomed by the weight of several small actions. As the saying goes, “It was the straw that broke the camel’s back.” The same is true in education. We are more likely to “give up” on students because of a series of small incidents rather than one big one.

You must never discount how important your every action is, big and small alike. You also need to be aware how VITAL every contact and encounter is and how much others recognize and appreciate small acts of kindness, concern, assistance, consideration, and appreciation. Someone may think you are the best person in the world just because you say “hi” to them every day. Or they may think you’re not a good person because you never acknowledge their presence.

We need to remember this possible reality the next time we choose not to see a student we pass in the halls, not to take the time to ask a student who has been out sick how they are feeling, or not to console a student who is having a bad day or fails a test. Even the little things we do does make a difference. Positive and caring gestures that aren’t expected are a great surprise to people and generate good feelings towards you.

We constantly tell our students to “extend themselves” and to show consideration. Are we doing that ourselves? We need to be sure we are modeling what we tell our students to do. Don’t think that people are not altered in some way by every contact you have and every action you take with them. The more good things that happen to students and colleagues, the more likely they are to return the kindness.

This is the influence our actions have on a daily basis – and how we can make a difference in the lives of our students and colleagues. If we continually respond to the big need, big challenge, or big problem in a professional and helpful way, our influence and reputation will grow. It all adds up!

The Tortoise and the Hare

nospam@example.com (Rick Smith) — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 06:29:49 -0500

We are all familiar with The Tortoise and the Hare Story. As per the story, the hare and tortoise decided on a race to settle an argument – the hare seeing he was far ahead, decided to rest and sleep and the tortoise meanwhile ran steadily and won the race. We remember the lesson from it too – slow and steady wins the race. Had the hare not been so relaxed and over confident he would not have lost.

But the story did not end there - The hare did some thinking and realized his folly. He challenged the tortoise to another race. This time, the hare went all out and ran without stopping from start to finish. He won by several miles. The moral of the story? It is good to be steady but being fast and steady is even better than being slow and steady. So it will be great if you can combine speed with consistency. But it doesn't end here.

The tortoise also did some thinking this time and realized that there was no way he could beat the hare in a race the way it was held. He thought for a while, and then challenged the hare to another race, but on slightly different route. The hare agreed. The hare ran at full speed until he came to a broad river. The finishing line was a couple of miles on the other side. The hare sat there wondering what to do.

In the meantime the tortoise trundled along, got into the river, swam to the opposite bank, continued walking and finished the race. The moral of the story? First identify your strength and then change the playing field to suit your core competency.

But the story still hasn't ended. The hare and the tortoise, by the end of the races, had become pretty good friends and they did some thinking together. Both realized that the last race could have been run much better. So they decided to do the last race again, but to run as a team this time. This time the hare carried the tortoise until they reached the river. There, the tortoise took over and swam across with the hare on his back. On the opposite bank, the hare again carried the tortoise and they reached the finishing line together.

They both felt a greater sense of satisfaction than they'd felt earlier. The moral of the story? It's good to be individually brilliant and to have strong core competencies; but unless you're able to work as a team and use each other’s strengths, you'll always perform below par. ¬

To sum up, the story of the hare and tortoise teaches us many things:

• That fast and consistent will always beat slow and steady;
• Work to your strengths and competencies.
• Pooling resources and working as a team will always beat individual performers.
• Never give up when faced with failure.
• And finally, compete against the situation. Not against a rival.

Here at the CTC, we will continue to work as a great team!!

Make A Difference

nospam@example.com (Rick Smith) — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 09:22:16 -0500

We all have heard the story about the man taking a morning walk at or the beach. He saw that along with the morning tide came hundreds of starfish and when the tide receded, they were left behind and with the morning sun, they would die. The tide was fresh and the starfish were alive. The man took a few steps, picked one and threw it into the water. He did that repeatedly. Right behind him there was another person who couldn't understand what this man was doing. He caught up with him and asked, "What are you doing? There are hundreds of starfish. How many can you help? What difference does it make?" The man did not reply, took two more steps, picked up another one, threw it into the water, and said, "It makes a difference to this one."

I had the privilege to attend two great community events last weekend: Friday night I was at the "Swing Into Spring" event sponsored by Clark State Community College, United Senior Services, and Leadership Clark County. And Saturday night I attended the Northwestern Athletic Boosters Auction and Dinner. Talk about people making a difference! Both events showed me how people can make a big difference in the lives of others! Both events were a lot of fun!!

And if you think that you cannot make a big difference, consider this: Big difference or small, it does not matter. Even if everyone made a small difference, we'd end up with a big difference, wouldn't we? Continue to make a difference!

Rules

nospam@example.com (Rick Smith) — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 08:41:09 -0500

I was reading about a man named John who, dressed in blue jeans, went into his bank to finalize a bank transaction. A bank teller told him that the bank officer he needed to see wasn't in, and he would have to come back the next day. John said that would be fine and asked the teller to validate his parking ticket. This was a large bank in a metropolitan area and customers had to use a parking garage.

The teller informed John that, according to bank policy, she couldn't validate his parking ticket because he technically did not complete a financial transaction. John asked for an exception since he had come into the bank with every intention of doing business but he wasn't able to since the person he needed to see wasn't available. The teller did not budge. She said, "I'm sorry; that's our policy. And rules are rules."

So John decided to make a financial transaction. He decided to close his account with the bank. Closing the account did qualify as a financial transaction and the teller was able to then validate his parking ticket. Did I mention that John was the chairman of IBM and the account he closed that day was worth several million dollars? No amount of pleading from bank officials was able to get the account back for their bank. The teller was right; since John did not originally complete a transaction she did not have to validate his parking ticket. That was the rule and rules are very important!! But there's something more important than rules….the relationship we have with our customers!

As a school, of course we need the stability of having rules but we try very hard to not let the rules become more important than the "customers" we serve – Our Associate Schools, parents, and students! Have a great week!

Adversity

nospam@example.com (Rick Smith) — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 05:49:51 -0600

This parable is told of a farmer who owned an old mule. The mule fell into the farmer’s well. The farmer heard the mule praying or whatever mules do when they fall into wells. After carefully assessing the situation, the farmer sympathized with the mule, but decided that neither the mule nor the well was worth the trouble of saving. Instead, he called his neighbors together, told them what had happened, and enlisted them to help haul dirt to bury the old mule in the well and put him out of his misery.

Initially the old mule was hysterical! But as the farmer and his neighbors continued shoveling and the dirt hit his back, a thought struck him. It suddenly dawned on him that every time a shovel load of dirt landed on his back, HE WOULD SHAKE IT OFF AND STEP UP!

This he did, blow after blow. “Shake it off and step up…shake it off and step up…shake it off and step up!” He repeated to encourage himself. No matter how painful the blows, or how distressing the situation seemed, the old mule fought panic and just kept right on SHAKING IT OFF AND STEPPING UP!

It wasn’t long before the old mule, battered and exhausted, stepped triumphantly over the wall of that well! What seemed like it would bury him actually helped him . . . all because of the manner in which he handled his adversity.

THAT’S LIFE! If we face our problems and respond to them positively, and refuse to give in to panic, bitterness, or self-pity. Shake it off and step up!

Negative People

nospam@example.com (Rick Smith) — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 06:14:10 -0600

Negative People - Author Unknown

There was a hunter who bought a bird dog, the only one of its kind in the world - It could walk on water. He couldn't believe his eyes when he saw this miracle. At the same time, he was very pleased that he could show off his new acquisition to his friends. He invited a friend to go duck hunting. After some time, they shot a few ducks and the man ordered his dog to run and fetch the birds. All day-long, the dog ran on water and kept fetching the birds. The owner kept expecting a comment or a compliment about his amazing dog, but never got one. As they were returning home, he asked his friend if he had noticed anything unusual about his dog. The friend replied, "Yes, in fact, I did notice something unusual. Your dog can't swim."

Some people always look for the negative side of things. I always look for the positive and encourage others to do the same!

Why are Goals Important?

nospam@example.com (Rick Smith) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 14:03:56 -0600

Remember when we were young and we'd set paper on fire by using a magnifying glass? On a sunny day, the most powerful magnifying glass ever made will not light paper if you keep moving the glass. But if you focus and hold it, the paper will light up. That is the power of concentration.

A man was traveling and stopped at an intersection. He asked an elderly man, "Where does this road take me?" The elderly person asked, "Where do you want to go?" The man replied, "I'm not sure." The elderly person said, "Then take any road. What difference does it make?"

How true. When we don't know where we are going, any road will take us there.

Suppose you have eleven football players, enthusiastically ready to play the game, all charged up, and then someone took the goal lines and goal posts away. What would happen to the game? There is nothing left to play for. How do you know when you’ve scored? How do you know you have arrived? The goal is gone!

You could be enthusiastic about what you are doing but enthusiasm without direction is like a wildfire (it goes where the winds blows it) and leads to frustration. Goals give a sense of direction. Would you sit in a train or a plane without knowing where it was going? The obvious answer is no. Then why do people go through life without having any goals? Do you have goals for your students AND do they know them?

My goal for our students is to get them ready for a career and college after they leave us. I tell them every chance I get.

Credibility

nospam@example.com (Rick Smith) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 06:18:51 -0600

SPOKEN WORDS CAN'T BE RETRIEVED

A farmer insulted his neighbor. Realizing his mistake, he went to the preacher to ask for forgiveness. The preacher told him to take a bag of feathers and drop them in the center of town. The farmer did as he was told and went back to the preacher. The preacher asked him to go and collect the feathers and put them back in the bag. The farmer tried but couldn't as the feathers had all blown away. When he returned with the empty bag, the preacher said, "The same thing is true about your words. You dropped them rather easily but you cannot retrieve them, so be very careful in choosing your words."

On another note, credibility is a tremendous professional asset. Look around you. When someone has great credibility, others believe in and relate to them easily. People in general seem to be more pleasant and secure with them. Credibility is in our words and deeds. And our words and deeds are either “good as gold” or they are not. People respond according to whether we have established credibility with them.

I think that we all can become better at being credible. I know I want to be someone students and colleagues can count on. And don’t forget, once lost, credibility is almost impossible to regain.

What the CTC is all about!

nospam@example.com (Rick Smith) — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 14:02:23 -0600

Every day, as I walk the halls of the CTC, I peek into classrooms and labs—great thinking and work is happening everywhere! This is what school is all about—engaging students in learning that sparks their desire to learn more.

Springfield-Clark CTC staff members are dedicated to preparing students for life after high school as well as college and career options. Focusing on what students need to know and be able to do, instructional strategies that support student learning, and authentic literacy are the keys to a world-class education. These strategies are aimed at providing your child with a world-class education that will prepare each student with the skills and knowledge to make decisions, to be successful after high school, and to open doors after they have chosen a college and/or career.

At the CTC, your student is expected to engage in reading, writing, discussing, and hands-on learning. Students collaborate, communicate, think, experiment, and reflect throughout each day. Therefore, being in school is very important for each student, every day. To help each student achieve to his/her fullest potential, the CTC provides both enrichment and intervention supports for students. We believe in knowing each student by "name and need."

I feel privileged to have the opportunity to work with our highly qualified and dedicated staff, the wonderful students, and the supportive parents. Please take a few moments to browse our website where you will find links to resources for parents. You can also contact me or teachers via email from our website if you have questions. Our staff is committed to working with students and their families as a team.

We'll See

nospam@example.com (Rick Smith) — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 12:06:48 -0600

We'll See - Author Unknown

Once upon a time, there was a farmer in the central region of China. He didn't have a lot of money and, instead of a tractor, he used an old horse to plow his field.

One afternoon, while working in the field, the horse dropped dead. Everyone in the village said, "Oh, what a horrible thing to happen." The farmer said simply, "We'll see." He was so at peace and so calm, that everyone in the village got together and, admiring his attitude, gave him a new horse as a gift.

Everyone's reaction now was, "What a lucky man." And the farmer said, "We'll see."

A couple days later, the new horse jumped a fence and ran away. Everyone in the village shook their heads and said, "What a poor fellow!"

The farmer smiled and said, "We'll see."

Eventually, the horse found his way home, and everyone again said, "What a fortunate man."

The farmer said, "We'll see."

Later in the year, the farmer's young boy went out riding on the horse and fell and broke his leg. Everyone in the village said, "What a shame for the poor boy."

The farmer said, "We'll see."

Two days later, the army came into the village to draft new recruits. When they saw that the farmer's son had a broken leg, they decided not to recruit him.

Everyone said, "What a fortunate young man."

The farmer smiled again - and said "We'll see."

Moral of the story: There's no use in overreacting to the events and circumstances of our everyday lives. Many times what looks like a setback, may actually be a gift in disguise. And when our hearts are in the right place, all events and circumstances are gifts that we can learn valuable lessons from.

Continue to look for the gifts! Your support of the CTC is appreciated. Have a great week!

It Truly is Better to Give Than Receive!

nospam@example.com (Rick Smith) — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 08:46:17 -0600

Many times when I meet people and they hear me happily say that I am the director of the CTC, they say things like, "Whatever made you want to be a principal? And, "I couldn't do that, kids drive me crazy. How can you be so happy about your job and enjoy it so much?" And when I think about some of the things I did when I was in school, I wonder if my teachers enjoyed being my teacher. Were they happy doing the work they were doing? Ultimately, I think they were! And here’s why I think that:

I think almost all teachers are happy because they are doing something for somebody other than themselves. Their lives are centered on giving to others. There are many examples of rich people saying that their money never bought them happiness or they would give it all away to have happiness. And then there are many examples of people who have little money but they spend their whole lives happily doing and giving for others. I think real happiness comes from our relationships with people. As educators we need to teach this lesson to our students.

So many times we become the "center of our own universe." We start living for what we get rather than for what we give. We start living for things (cars, clothing, “toys”...etc) rather than building relationships and thinking of others. While material things will always be important, I think the source of real wealth (and happiness) is people. Remember what Clarence the Angel said to George Bailey in "It's a Wonderful Life," "No man is a failure who has friends."

Also we need to not get all bent out of shape when people disappoint us. We can live our lives waiting and expecting people to disappoint us - and people will. It happens. That hurt can make us approach everything we do with people (including teachers) with a negative attitude. But it doesn't have to be that way!

This holiday season, get into the season of giving. I bet you'll be happier for it! It is truly better to give than receive. Have a great week!

I'm Flying

nospam@example.com (Rick Smith) — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 10:22:55 -0600

I'm Flying! By Roger Dean Kiser, Sr.

Once upon a time there was a little boy who was raised in an orphanage.

The little boy had always wished that he could fly like a bird. It was very difficult for him to understand why he could not fly. There were birds at the zoo that were much bigger than he, and they could fly. "Why can't I?" he thought. "Is there something wrong with me?" he wondered.

There was another little boy who was crippled. He had always wished that he could walk and run like other little boys and girls. "Why can't I be like them?" he thought.

One day the little orphan boy, who had wanted to fly like a bird, ran away from the orphanage. He came upon a park where he saw the little boy, who could not walk or run, playing in the sandbox.

He ran over to the little boy and asked him if he had ever wanted to fly like a bird.

"No," said the little boy who could not walk or run. "But I have wondered what it would be like to walk and run like other boys and girls."

"That is very sad," said the little boy who wanted to fly. "Do you think we could be friends?" he said to the little boy in the sandbox.

"Sure," said the little boy.

The two little boys played for hours. They made sand castles and made really funny sounds with their mouths. Sounds which made them laugh real hard. Then the little boy's father came with a wheelchair to pick up his son. The little boy who had always wanted to fly ran over to the boy's father and whispered something into his ear.

"That would be OK," said the man.

The little boy who had always wanted to fly like a bird ran over to his new friend and said, "You are my only friend and I wish that there was something that I could do to make you walk and run like other little boys and girls. But I can't. But there is something that I can do for you."

The little orphan boy turned around and told his new friend to slide up onto his back. He then began to run across the grass. Faster and faster he ran, carrying the little crippled boy on his back. Faster and harder he ran across the park. Harder and harder he made his legs travel. Soon the wind just whistled across the two little boys' faces.

The little boy's father began to cry as he watched his beautiful little crippled son flapping his arms up and down in the wind, all the while yelling at the top of his voice,

"I'M FLYING, DADDY. I'M FLYING!"

I am a firm believer in reflection. When I read stories like this, I start to think about if I and the CTC are doing everything we can to help our students be successful. I hope so!

Young Volunteer Is a Role Model For Us All!

nospam@example.com (Rick Smith) — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 06:55:07 -0600

About a year ago a young girl and her mom were driving home in the rain when they spotted a woman in a wheelchair trying to corral her loose dog. As soon as they got home, the girl jumped on her bike to go and help the woman. She was successful in getting the dog back to her struggling neighbor.

She also visits with another neighbor whose dog is dying of cancer. Her mom says, “This dog is all this woman has and she is distraught and depressed over it dying so she checks in with her on a regular basis.”

This past March this young lady’s cat that she had grown up with since they both were adopted 15 years ago passed away. She was given the opportunity to be with her cat at the end of its life. She held her cat, telling her how much she loved her and she told her cat stories of all the fun times they had together. She even sung the Phil Collins song, “You’ll Be in My Heart” (from the Tarzan soundtrack) to her cat as she passed away.

This special young lady (she is 15 and a half) also volunteers at her local Humane Society, where she walks and socializes with the cats and dogs. And she gives a portion of her allowance every month to the Humane Society for their food supply.

But that’s not all…She has volunteered for several years at Heroes on Horseback, which provides disabled children with equine-assisted activities. She is a stable hand and she grooms and tacks the horses for the young riders. She also cleans the stalls and exercises the horses for no pay.

Why am I telling you this story?

I think this young lady is a role model for all of us, especially with the holidays coming up. She shows us that you don’t have to rich to give back to others. And she shows us that giving from your heart transcends age. This holiday season consider giving back to our community. An hour of your time, a can of food, or a few dollars are all things that help make our community a better place.

And, I am very proud to say that this amazingly big hearted young lady is my daughter, Kirtlynd (Kirty). She would not be happy to know I shared all this with you but I am extremely proud of all the little things she does to brighten up the world.

A Walk in the Mountains

nospam@example.com (Rick Smith) — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 06:01:04 -0600

A Walk In The Mountains - Author Unknown

A son and his father were walking in the mountains. Suddenly, his son falls, hurts himself and screams, "AAAhhhhhhhhhhh!!!"

To his surprise, he hears the voice repeating, somewhere in the mountain: "AAAhhhhhhhhhhh!!!"

Curious, he yells: "Who are you?" He receives the answer: "Who are you?"

Angered at the response, he screams: "Coward!" He receives the answer: "Coward!"

He looks to his father and asks: "What's going on?"

The father smiles and says: "My son, pay attention."

And then he screams to the mountain: "I admire you!" The voice answers: "I admire you!"

Again the man screams: "You are a champion!" The voice answers: "You are a champion!"

The boy is surprised, but does not understand.

Then the father explains: "People call this an ECHO, but really this is LIFE.

It gives you back everything you say or do. Our life is simply a reflection of our actions.

If you want more love in the world, create more love in your heart. If you want more competence in your team, improve your competence.

This relationship applies to everything, in all aspects of life;

Life will give you back everything you have given to it."

YOUR LIFE IS NOT A COINCIDENCE. IT'S A REFLECTION OF YOU!

Parent-teacher conferences this week are a wonderful opportunity to extend lines of communication between home and school, keep parents informed about their children's progress—both academic and social—and for developing cooperative strategies that can ultimately benefit the student. I hope that if you have a child that attends the CTC, you will be able to stop in Monday or Wednesday this week from 4 - 7 pm and visit with us.

Have a great week!

The Pretty One

nospam@example.com (Rick Smith) — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 07:14:23 -0500

Good Morning!

Some items of interest:

1) The Spaghetti Dinner is November 1st! Come and enjoy a great meal at the CTC for just $6 Tuesday from 5-7 pm.
2) There was an important job to be done and Everybody was sure Somebody would do it. Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it. Somebody got angry about that because it was Everybody's job. Everybody thought Anybody could do it, but Nobody realized that Everybody would not do it. It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have done. Remember to communicate with everyone who needs to know. The Main Office Adminidtrative Assistant, Karen Holstein, is putting out a daily bulletin to help us all know what is going on around the CTC each day!

The Pretty One - Roger Dean Kiser

It had been a very long night. Our black cocker spaniel 'Precious' was having a difficult delivery. I lay on the floor beside her large four-foot square cage, watching her every movement. Watching and waiting, just in case I had to rush her to the veterinarian. After six hours the puppies started to appear. The first-born was black and white. The second and third puppies were tan and brown in color. The fourth and fifth were also spotted black and white. "One, two, three, four, five," I counted to myself as I walked down the hallway to wake my wife, Judy, and tell her that everything was fine.

As we walked back down the hallway and into the spare bedroom, I noticed a sixth puppy had been born and was now laying all by itself over to the side of the cage. I picked up the small puppy and laid it on top of the large pile of puppies, who were whining and trying to nurse on the mother. Precious immediately pushed the small puppy away from rest of the group. She refused to recognize it as a member of her family.

"Something's wrong," said Judy. I reached over and picked up the puppy. My heart sank inside my chest when I saw the little puppy had a cleft lip and palate and could not close its little mouth. I decided right there and then that if there was any way to save this animal I was going to give it my best shot.

I took the puppy to the vet and was told nothing could be done unless we were willing to spend about a thousand dollars to try and correct the defect. He told us that the puppy would die mainly because it could not suckle. After returning home, Judy and I decided that we could not afford to spend that kind of money without getting some type of assurance from the vet that the puppy had a chance to live. However, that did not stop me from purchasing a syringe and feeding the puppy by hand. Which I did every day and night, every two hours, for more than ten days. The little puppy survived and learned to eat on his own as long as it was soft canned food.

The fifth week I placed an ad in the newspaper, and within a week we had people interested in all of the pups, except the one with the deformity. Late one afternoon I went to the store to pick up a few groceries. Upon returning I happened to see the old retired schoolteacher, who lived across the street from us, waving at me. She had read in the paper that we had puppies and was wondering if she might get one from us for her grandson and his family. I told her all the puppies had found homes, but I would keep my eyes open for anyone else who might have an available cocker spaniel. I also mentioned that if someone should change their mind, I would let her know. Within days, all but one of the puppies had been picked up by their new families. This left me with one brown and tan cocker as well as the smaller puppy with the cleft lip and palate.

Two days passed without me hearing anything from the gentleman who had been promised the tan and brown pup. I telephoned the schoolteacher and told her I had one puppy left and that she was welcome to come and look at it. She advised me that she was going to pick up her grandson and would come over at about eight o'clock that evening.

That night at around seven-thirty, Judy and I were eating supper when we heard a knock on the front door. When I opened the door, the man who had wanted the tan and brown pup was standing there. We walked inside, took care of the adoption details and I handed him the puppy. Judy and I did not know what we would do or say when the teacher showed up with her grandson. At exactly eight o'clock the doorbell rang. I opened the door, and there was the schoolteacher with her grandson standing behind her. I explained to her the man had come for the puppy after all, and there were no puppies left. "I'm sorry, Jeffery. They found homes for all the puppies," she told her grandson.

Just at that moment, the small puppy left in the bedroom began to yelp.

"My puppy! My puppy!" yelled the little boy as he ran out from behind his grandmother.

I just about fell over when I saw that the small child also had a cleft lip and palate. The boy ran past me as fast as he could, down the hallway to where the puppy was still yelping. When the three of us made it to the bedroom, the small boy was holding the puppy in his arms. He looked up at his grandmother and said, "Look, Grandma. They found homes for all the puppies except the pretty one, and he looks just like me.”

The schoolteacher turned to us, "Is this puppy available?"

“Yes,” I answered. “That puppy is available.”

The little boy, who was now hugging the puppy, chimed in, "My grandma told me these kind of puppies are real expensive and that I have to take real good care of it."

The lady opened her purse, but I reached over and pushed her hand back down into her purse so that she would not pull her wallet out. "How much do you think this puppy is worth?" I asked the boy. "About a dollar?" "No. This puppy is very, very expensive," he replied.

"More than a dollar?" I asked.

"I'm afraid so," said his grandmother.

The boy stood there pressing the small puppy against his cheek. "We could not possibly take less than two dollars for this puppy," Judy said, squeezing my hand. "Like you said, it's the pretty one."

The schoolteacher took out two dollars and handed it to the young boy.

"It's your dog now, Jeffery. You pay the man."

Still holding the puppy tightly, the boy proudly handed me the money. Any worries I’d had about the puppy’s future were gone.

The image of the little boy and his matching pup stays with me still. I think it must be a wonderful feeling for any young person to look at themselves in the mirror and see nothing, except "the pretty one."

No matter who you are and whatever battle you are fighting, think of yourself as "the pretty one." Have a great week!