Dear Reader:

I fell over laughing when I read this true quote-a young man had cheated on a young girl, mistreating her terribly… she spent the whole night thinking up mean, spiteful responses to his abrupt hurtful email break-up.

By morning she was exhausted from venting and then she remembered hearing her grandmother tell her …If someone hurts you… ” kill’em with kindness”- when she asked what that meant- grandmother replied ” Don’t stoop to their level… rise above it.”

Finally after much thought she wrote her ” kind” double-edged ( right on) response: ” May Your Life Be as Pleasant as You Are!” ( The young girl could feel her deceased grandmother’s smile and nod) She waved an imaginary ” high-five” in the air! She felt vindicated and strong!

In Golden Girls… it was always Sophia who put Sicilian curses on anyone who hurt any of the ” girls” or old foes from Sicily.

I remember one year when the classes had gotten to WWI … we were studying the flying aces… America’s ” Ace of Aces” -Eddie Rickenbacker) and of course the famous German aviator – Manfred Von Richthofen.

I remember the first year Red Baron Pizza came out and they had a big banner advertising it-a teaching colleague talked the management into ordering another poster to give to education( my class) and it was good advertising too. At the end of the unit test we even celebrated with Red Baron pizza! A Win Win Win!”

These days it is getting harder and harder for me to stoop for anything… I take my stool out to plant seeds and flowers! So it behooves me to rise above hurtful situations with wit and creativity …instead of mundane spite that imitates dirt.

So until tomorrow… ” A man that studieth revenge, keeps his own wounds green, which otherwise would heal and do well. ” -Francis Bacon

Today is my favorite day -Winnie the Pooh