n days of open slavery, people worked under the lash. They feared if they slacked they would be beaten. But after the so-called age of enlightenment people lived a less stressful life and there was time and inclination to appreciate the finer things of life. Fortunately we live in a society that has time to smell the flowers, as they say. All this was brought to my attention when I attended a lunch dance and someone who attends as frequently as I do called to me and handed me something. It was a one of my columns which she had put into a lovely frame. She said she loves reading my columns each week and this one was of particular interest. It was the one I wrote about Letting Go. As I always say, if no one appreciated my columns I would not keep on writing them. Guess I have many more columns to share since the fountain is not dry yet, as they say.

After the lunch dance there is always a movie and this time it was Unbroken which resulted from the book of the same name. The author, Laura Hillenbrand, began writing because that is something she could do that didn’t require punching a time clock. She suffers from a debilitating illness that prevents her from holding down the usual nine-to-five job. Her brilliant writing ability gave her the chance to express her great talent and share it with the world. Her earlier book Sea Biscuit was a smash hit as is her book Unbroken.

If we are perceptive we would realize the talent of each and every friend in our lives and offer appreciation. Everyone who touches our lives helps to mold us in special ways. So as we live our lives and appreciation is offered, we can in turn offer appreciation to others. I remember when I was growing up that my teachers helped me to appreciate the contributions of my classmates. In the Show and Tell period we learned to find something positive to say when someone was brave enough to come before the class to share. Some students were anxious to show what they brought to share while others needed encouragement to take their turn.

Teachers help in encouraging students to share their talents. They never ignore a shy student but urge each one to come before the class and take a turn in presenting what they have brought from home. Some students are innately shy while others have not had the chance to bloom. A skillful teacher can offer the support that each child needs to share part of their life with other students. The early years in a child’s life are important in blooming out and becoming the best person each one can be.

As a former school counselor I had the chance to help shy and unhappy children find their strengths and special talents. It was wonderful to watch young children gain confidence and express themselves and their special ability. From kindergarten on teachers encourage students to find their strengths and share these strengths with other students. Yes, appreciating others begins early in life. The self worth that we all believe each person should have develops in an accepting environment. Hopefully, families who live in the city have found support groups where they can express themselves and learn to live the good life, as they say. Each person needs to find acceptance every step of the way from childhood into adulthood. Every adult needs to take responsibility to give such support to younger people and intervene when children fall heir to bullying or teasing. Yes, life can be beautiful but it takes each one of us to help make it so. There is no end to learning and teaching others something special that we have learned about. So keep it up.

Georgie Bright Kunkel is a freelance writer who can be reached at 206-935-8663 or HYPERLINK "mailto:gnkunkel@comcast.net" gnkunkel@comcast.net.