Lessons in kindness from Steve Hartman

is a very exciting announcement it's a new series it's called kindness 101 and it is from one of the best storytellers working today our own Steve Hartman you may know Steve from Friday nights and Sunday mornings his em winning series on the road he's now sharing stories out of the Vault there built around themes of kindness and character and the people who have mastered both of those qualities kindness 101 of course is a good starter for discussions with kids but we are confident that adults will learn a thing or two as well and may need to Steve's first lesson courage good morning this is my daughter Merill hi and today we're going to be talking about how to get kids like Merill to fail I did not expect that you thought I would say succeed right yeah yeah and I do want you to succeed but before you learn how to succeed you need to learn how to fail which is why you need courage what is courage for that let's check in with your brother over at our dictionary desk am it so this essentially means like being brave you would be able to take up something completely new right Merl do you remember for the longest time you didn't even want to try riding a bike I was worried everyone would laugh at me she was afraid that she would fall off get injured could have broke your clavicle what's a clavicle yeah what is a clav you know what I'm you're going to hook that up okay you look that up we'll go on as you guys know I've interviewed some of the best people this country have to offer people who can teach us pretty much everything we need to know to be a better person so this morning I looked in that library of stories past and found what I think is the perfect tale to teach us all how to be a little more courageous I they were the Bad News Bears of swimming minutes in fact Coach Alex Weedman of sigin high school in Arlington Texas says you can't overstate their underachievement our goal every meet was to to finish the race just get across the pool get across the pool we measured our success on not getting disqualified and because that was the standard Gerald hajes made the team perhaps the only kid to ever make a high school Swim Team without a clue how to swim he couldn't get across five yards let alone 25 yards was there really nobody better no come on Gerald eventually he at least learned how to not drown and even finish some races I'll be long after the other competitors were done and toweled off push it come on yes he was that bad which is interesting because on dry land Gerald is a remarkable athlete could you have made the basketball team I think so soccer team pretty positive so why swimming I felt like if I couldn't handle not being good at something then how could I consider myself you know a successful person that quote Bears repeating if I couldn't handle not being good at something then how could I consider myself a successful person to Gerald setting yourself up for failure is actually the key to future success especially if you can somehow manage to master your weakness and by the start of his senior year Gerald had actually improved a lot but no one really knew how much until the big Regional meet it was the 200 yard medal relay top two teams qualify for state and as usual ual sigin was pretty much in last place with 50 yards to go and that's when Gerald jumped in the water keep in mind at this level making up any significant time is nearly impossible unless maybe you've got something to prove unless maybe you've stared failure in the eye and see it now for the paper tiger that it is whatever the reason the kid who couldn't swim just sent his team to State man we was ecstatic I could barely contain my energy as I was trying to go get this metal I'm sitting here just freaking out you having a hard time now yes yeah I was like I come so far from now on whenever you think anything is impossible think of Gerald whenever you think the easiest path is the best think again Gerald had a profound impact on me and I know you too do you remember what you did right after I showed you that story the first time I thought I said I wanted to try riding my bike the courage of this child yeah I felt like I don't think I'm going to do this and then I didn't listen to that look at this and I kept on trying congratulations Gerald is definitely an inspiration which is why I'm thrilled to see him again hello Gerald hi everybody so you're a senior in college now and you're a math major that can't be easy being a math major is always difficult so math didn't come naturally for you not in college no I had to study a lot more you should have just taken something easy like swimming easy is good for five minutes but for the future hard is always a better option at least from what I've learned were you at all afraid to fail yes I was definitely afraid being afraid just means you have common sense um as long as I didn't act on that fear I didn't let that stop me from doing what I wanted to this guy's wise he is wise isn't he I'm not wise but I take my I listen to the wise people in my life yeah all right jald thanks so much for talking to us no problem thank you guys Gerald inspired you and hopefully you too to let failure open the door to your success we'll see you next time until then stay kind good morning I'm here with my daughter Merill hi and today we're going to explore empathy what is empathy for for that we go over to your brother EMT at the dictionary desk EMT so empathy is to experience the thoughts or feelings of someone else yeah or the ability to look at what someone else is going through and say what if that was me this is a very important quality because without empathy people wouldn't care enough to help each other it would be like hey you handle that yourself it's exactly what hard to imagine well fortunately America is full of empaths those are empathetic people and I have an example to illustrate a story pulled from our archives about a preschooler who is so empathetic it's his superpower he's faster than a speeding stroller more adorable than a wet kitten and able to get a stranger's attention with a single courtesy excuse me this is America's latest superhero don't forget to show love and the only superhero with the power to feed the Homeless now why do you do that you know what Mr St it's just the right thing to do is it yes you want honey by day Austin perine is a mild-mannered four-year-old from Birmingham Alabama but about once a week he turns into this alter ego would you like a sandwich a superhero set on feeding as many homeless people as possible thank you what's your superhero name president Austin president Austin president Austin president Austin that's his idea of what the president is supposed to do I was like buddy you have no idea but hey I'm going along with it TJ says this all began when they were watching a TV show about pandas it showed a mama panda abandoning a baby TJ told his son the Cub was now homeless he so what's homeless I said well it's when you don't have a home and sometimes you don't have Mom or Dad around I can tell what the followup question is going to be yeah are people homeless when I was a 4-year-old I didn't care about helping people I did I see once Austin learned some people are homeless and some are even hungry he launched this caped Crusade told his mom and dad that he wanted all his allowance and money they would spend on toys here you go to go toward chicken sandwiches instead oh thank you baby you're welcome don't forget to sh love after he gives out each sandwich yes he gives each person that same bit of advice don't forget to show love don't forget to show love he tells them and most do immediately want to thank you it Wars my heart to say it a warm anyone's heart yeah he really did Man raymont Boss says this kid gives him hope that's that's that's where it starts don't forget to show love everyone who meets Austin leaves with hope which is why with any luck someday president Austin won't be a superhero anymore being the homeless is is the highlight of my life he'll just be a president all right come on Austin superhero and announced 2052 presidential candidate Austin perine joins us now hello Austin hey TJ hello hello do you still feed homeless people yes I do it once a week you still wear the cape no because I was getting like too much attention everyone was noticing me and I wanted to be more about the homeless people TJ did you raise him to be like this or is this just coincidence well it's a combination of both I try to do the best I can but I'm a lucky guy as well it's just something that I love to do it's like my passion I got to feed them you know what are you thinking everything you just made my daughter get emotional no but I think everybody feels the same thing it's okay no we just think you're a really sweet young man and we're glad you're out there helping people feeding the home Hess is still the highlight of my life beautiful well thank you very much for joining us you two we really appreciate it thank you and Merill if you're empathetic you know what I'm feeling now happy that we did that story yes we'll see you next time until then stay kind good morning I'm here with my daughter Merl hi everyone and we have a good feeling about this class because it's about optimism and I see you have a glass there that is half empty no it's half full interesting mhm and I think that's inching us closer to our definition let's go over to EMT at the dictionary desk optimism is to look on the better or brighter side of things yeah I kind of look at optimism as a superpower a way to alter the course of future events and you know how that happens you decide how you want to look at them that's right so let's turn now to my library of stories past for a real life example of the unbelievable Power of Positive Thinking 24 hours for as long as her parents can remember Brianna Cary has had this crazy dream she has always wanted a broodmare a mommy horse that would give birth to a baby horse that would grow up to become a racing champion this was a fairy tale for her from day one we put it off for 5 years almost because we don't have a farm this sounds expensive yeah why don't you say no well well as she'll tell you she has me wrapped around her finger okay her fo an Ohio standard bread was born in the spring of 2013 she named it MJB got faith MJB for the initials of the kids in her family and got faith for the faith she instantly had in him I really loved him from the beginning mhm he's super soft too but that quick Bond posed a real problem for this pushover Dad where bud see for whatever reason Brian thought once he explained to his daughter that her horse could never race that it was a runt from poor breeding stock she would just agree to sell it but obviously not she's like there's no price daddy so I'm talking to my wife it's like you know we really got ourselves in a mess here yeah and I don't know how we're going to get out of this so we stake him to the races this horse that doesn't belong in the races the horse that I thought we should have gotten rid of already Brian was stuck committed to boarding and training this long shot to end all long shots and this is not a wealthy family Brian runs a small logistics company and Ohio racing which is harness Style Racing is a $900 million a year industry I want to see him go fast MJB got faith was so slow he barely even qualified to compete but then somehow someway won his first race won his second race his third and his fourth qualifying him for the state championship and I said baby if you finish third you should be so thankful she goes daddy if he finishes last I'm going to be thankful but he's going to win J got PA to the inside and so it was that this little horse with no pedigree this pet with no reason for being here Beyond The Blind Faith of a little girl one an Ohio sire Stakes Championship she said dad I told you you got to have faith Brianna took home $100,000 that day she has already given away half of it to charity and as for the other half she plans to use that money as a down payment on a farm I just want to have a farm and be able to go walk out my back door and see him and that's her plan for happily ever after just a girl her horse and knowing her father Dad can we please get a cat no probably a cat too no cat I want to know if I got a cat I kind of do too let's find out how are you guys good how are you we're good did you get the cat I didn't get the cat I got a puppy instead though oh how is MJB and where is MJB now doing good he's retired now so he's living his best life in a field so you have the land yes and as I recall you got another horse and named it Steve Hartman we did that's Steve Harman the early trailer how did that horse do he raced four times I believe it was ever get last place uh yes two the four two out of the four races he was last place correct not good let to find a Steve Hartman too yeah well I don't know if you want to push your luck you're not being very optimistic starting to sound like me don't want that so I think we all know who was The Optimist in that story and who was the pessimist yes sir I was just curious did that whole experience change you in any way yes it honestly has this process it truly has change me to believe things are possible and the glass is always half full not half empty and if you put your mind to it you work hard and be dedicated you can do anything you want it's beautiful okay thank you so much for joining us you guys I appreciate you guys thank you guys so there's your proof that the future is how you see it we'll see you next time until then stay kind good morning this is my daughter Merill hi and today we're talking about the joy of doing hard work for no pay otherwise known as service and as always We Begin by tossing over to your brother EMT at the dictionary desk EMT good morning everyone service is basically the act of helping for no pay at all add with the goodness of your heart right on the one hand it kind of seems like a burden yeah it kind of does yeah yet about 25% of Americans do some form of volunteering and to understand why we turn once more to our library of amazing Americans and pull off the shelf the perfect person to show us the rewards of service at a nursing home in Northwest Arkansas we found a gem named Ruby 11-year-old Ruby chitty likes to go to work with her mom Amanda is a nurse who travels to several nursing homes in the area and it was on one of those visits that Ruby started going up to Residence with her notepad if you could have any three things any three things what would they be what would you want she came up with this idea these questions yes with the intention of what I don't think she had an intention really Ruby says she was mostly just curious what they'd say were you surprised I thought people would say like money houses is Lamborghini but instead here's what she got electric razor new shoes Vienna sausage for some reason a lot of people ask for Vienna sausage and other really basic items like that's all they wanted and I really decided that I needed to do something so she started a charity called three wishes for Ruby's residence I'm going to sit right beside you now while her mom is caring for patients Ruby goes room to room I love cheese I do too jots down wishes avocados and then sets out to Grant those wishes thank you sweetheart you're welcome Ruby has a GoFundMe to cover costs but again no one is asking for a sports car here her expenses are minimal especially compared to the rewards it really lifts you it really does on this day she came back with a wheelchair full of sausages and other grocery items you have this huge chocolate pie that you can eat all by yourself but make no mistake this isn't about food watermelon and oranges no one has this kind of reaction over fresh fruit alone it's okay thank you so I can't believe you whether she knows it or not Ruby is satisfying some much more basic human needs here to be remembered to be cherished especially by a child that is what our seniors are truly hungry for and that is what brings every time she sets foot in a nursing home who needs a Lamborghini you know I'm a hugger when you've got home delivery of all the happy you could handle after I first shared that story Ruby expanded she now has kid helpers across the country who have granted 25,000 wishes and Counting that's a lot of wishes and now she's granting our Wish by joining us hello Ruby Hi Steve helping people lifts you in what way you know I used to struggle with really bad mental health but ever since I've started community service I think this really benefits me uh how many cans of Vienna sausage have you bought gosh we give it to them so much that they've like almost outgrown it so so people have burned out on Vienna sausage at this point what do you think you're gonna do next in your life I think I'm going to continue what I'm doing for a long time helping the nursing home res they're just awesome to be around and they're my best friends can we clone you well I'm working on a clone right here this is going to be my clone oh my goodness that's awesome Ruby thanks so much for joining us appreciate it I I've really had a great time she really does make it seem like volunteering is worth a try for sure in fact I think emit could start out by volunteering to clean your bedroom yeah I do get the idea of service just cleaning Merl's bedroom is on a whole different different level all right well maybe you can start by cleaning your own we'll see you next time until then stay kind good morning everyone this is my daughter Merill hi and as you can see we have two forts on our desk this one Merl made out of stone and this one I made out of cards now Marl which Fort would you rather live in the stone one right because this fort has more fortitude the word fort's right in there what's that word mean though for that let's go over to EMT at the dictionary desk EMT good morning fortitude is to have or feel strength yeah in people it's the emotional strength you need to get through tough times so that whenever anything bad blows your way fortitude helps you withstand the adversity and there's no better example of this than the woman in the story we're about to show you a story pulled from our Archive of amazing Americans the living embodiment of fortitude Kayla mcken may be Washington's most unlikely power broker as a lobbyist the only registered lobbyist with Down Syndrome Kayla roams the capital advocating for the national Down syndrome Society I'm good she's an incredible asset to this organization Sarah Hart Weir is her boss she's extremely articulate and she's quick on her feet and I'm not going to take no F an answer they hired you for your communication skills that and your charm you're good at this it takes a schmoozer to know a schmoozer but Kaya also has a certain sincerity that can turn almost any politician into putty I need your help okay do you need a sponsor I definitely need you am I surprised that she's in Washington DC calling on senators and congressmen all yeah her parents Mark and Patty say although their daughter continues to surprise Kayla never really let down Down syndrome slow her down they say even at 2 Kayla had already decided she would drive a car someday to pass the permit test we said you have to be able to read so that gave her encouragement to knuckle down and start reading and right now she still reads a book a week and she got her driver's license too that's her celebrating after passing the road test she's now one of just a handful of people with Down Syndrome to have a license what about that parallel parking you don't want to know really that's challenging fortunately today she does more flying than driving a couple times a month she leaves her home in Syracuse for her office in DC where Kayla is focused on passing a law that would make it illegal to pay people with disabilities anything less than minimum wage I got it she says if it passes it would be a Monumental achievement but a thrill regardless just to be part of the process I just love the feeling of wow I'm here I'm making history hard to believe oh yeah Kayla mcken Lily in the swamp I'll support joining us now my friend and my inspiration Kayla hello hi Steve hi May hi hi Kayla is it true you're getting your college degree now actually I'm two classes away from my asso Degree in General Studies wow and I just passed my meteorology class last time wait you passed your meteorology class yes I dropped out of that class oh that's hard yes it's very hard that's a m did you pass your driving test the first time never my first time but my fifth time how do you not give up I am very persistent yes I'm tempted but no that would never happen seems like a big part of fortitude is patience and budging Congress on anything I think would take a lot of patience right oh absolutely it does where does that law stand now talk about patience because it has to go through many channels and you're not going to give up because you have bought it to Don it okay well thank you for joining us absolutely thank you so much and good luck to you powering through whatever obstacles you face today we'll see you next time until then stay kind good morning I'm here with my daughter Merill hi and she's going to help me teach a lesson about compassion what is compassion for that we go to my brother EMT at the dictionary desk EMT good morning everyone compassion is to feel sympathy for someone who is sad or disappointed yeah it's kind of that feeling you get inside that makes you want to help someone in need or some animal in need we got a dog recently what Pap I did not want to get a dog but you know why I went along with it because Mommy really wanted one and she wears the pants yes but also because pets teach compassion and if you treat a pet with compassion there's a good chance you're going to grow up to treat people that same way too I've got a story this morning I want to share with you that illustrates this point perfectly it's a classic from the archives featuring The Boy Who has become my role model for compassion 8-year-old Robbie gay loves an underdog bring him to the Flagler County Humane Society in Palm Coast Florida as we did and ask him to find a favorite can I get in here he will seek out the oldest mest least adoptable mut of the lot there's something about old dogs but I just like do you see yourself in these dogs yes sir he knows what it feels like not to be loved and cared for he's the most most hopeful optimistic and genuinely caring kid who has absolutely no reason to be that way Robbie's adoptive mom Maria says before he entered the Foster system Robbie was a holy Terror so badly abused he was twice hospitalized with brain injuries then two years ago Maria and her husband Charles adopted him it was just a good day what did that day mean to you everything he has come a long way except in this one respect Maria says he could not cry despite the horrors of his past or maybe because of them the kid was a stone then one day one of his old dogs Buffy had to be put down he insisted on holding her till the very end perhaps because he knew it was the release he needed after Robbie finally let go he told his mom I know how it feels feels not to be loved or cared for and I don't want any animal of mine to feel that way nor does he want any foster kid to feel that way cuz people don't want older people and older dogs they only want babies and puppies he is so aware that it could have gone totally differently for him and in these older dogs Robbie's found a place to practice compassion someday Robbie wants to adopt older foster children himself go up and knock on the door but until then to show his commitment and do what he can he has vowed to adopt as many old dogs as his parents will allow do you love her today it's a lame snaggle tooth Shih Tzu named Molly Molly's owner had to go into assisted living but Molly got a new home thanks to the sweet little boy who sees his reflection in the eyes of the suffering Robbie and his mom Maria join us now hello hi Robbie I know you just lost Molly not long ago I'm sorry about that but your mom also surprised you with a new old dog and we have some video of that easy you seem like you were pretty surprised when you got off the bus yes he had no idea he can hear and he can see is this rare that you have a dog that can see and hear totally very and what's that dog's name chewy Lewis and the News so we call him Lou I only have one dog how many dogs are you allowed to have a lot as many as possible yeah wow some of these older dogs we might only have them for a month so if you only have them for a little while what makes you want to keep doing it because all dogs deserve to be loved I don't think of when they when they're going I think of how they feel right now thank you so much for what you've done and thank thank you very much for joining us it was really nice to meet you kiddos Robbie has made a place in his heart to love the lonely and if you do the same compassion will always follow we'll see you next time until then stay kind good morning welcome to class this is my daughter Merill and today we're going to discuss Redemption to find out what it means let's go over to your brother EMT at the dictionary desk EMT so Redemption has a rather simple definitions basically just a second chance yeah it could mean making up for a mistake when I was a kid I stole something from a store and for years it bothered me so as an adult I wrote a letter to the company and sent him money for what I'd stolen I was seeking Redemption you've done so many other great things in your life thank you you're welcome but you know I once did a story about a guy who did something much worse but did something much greater to redeem himself so let's turn now to my Archive of real life life lessons and pull off the shelf a dramatic tale of redemption I'm going take you down to my old neighborhood for 31-year-old Germaine Wilson of Leavenworth Kansas going back to his childhood is a bad trip yeah I used to see a lot of drugs out here right there in apartment 4 he started using at age 11 was in juvenile detention by 15 and in the maximum security at Lancing Correctional by 21 and it was here that this convicted drug dealer came to the most important realization of his life if I don't change it's either going to be two things that's going to happen I'm either going to spend the rest of my life in prison or dead in a casket you could have never imagined the third option no not at all we want to welcome you to our city commission meeting Germaine became the mayor of lenworth Kansas motion cared 5 it's a trans formation he credits to God education and volunteer work after prison he became a community activist and got his felony record expunged Paving the way for a political run a lot of politicians decide to run for office and then go to prison I know you're doing it the other way around what are the advantages there's this quote that I always go by you'll never know what you are until you've encounter what you are not I experienced being someone that I wasn't created to be and when I tried the opposite I eded you can be what you want to be yes I can today Germaine couldn't be more opposite the school district that once had him expelled now welcomes him back with open arms I'm the community outreach coordinator he also works for a nonprofit that helps excon find and keep good jobs that's good and of course he has his mayoring duties all made possible he says by the gift of incarceration that's why I'm here because if that wouldn't have happened I would have never had the time time to think I would have never had an opportunity you know to build a relationship with God so you suggest prison no I don't suggest but one thing I tell you we all go through a time in our life where we hit rock bottom when you're at Rock Bottom there's only one other place to go and that's up meeting the journ Germaine Wilson joins us now hello Germaine how you doing sir we're doing great are you still mayor I'm currently serving as the mayor proin I'll serve as the mayor next year I just actually uh won my reelection what was the first step in your path to Redemption first off I had to recognize that you know that I had some issues I had to change up my mindset I started writing out things that I wanted to accomplish in my life I was telling the kids earlier about a time when I stole something and years later paid the money that I owed the store and it felt like a weight was lifted off my shoulder did you have that same feeling when you finally had Redemption uh yes and I I feel it every day because your heart has changed your mindset has changed do you want to Pro president someday no ma'am I just wanna continue to serve my community what about any higher office at this particular time I have no desire for any higher office that's what politicians say when they are going to V for higher office no I've heard it said many times Jermain no no were you always this joyful or is this a byproduct of your Redemption uh back then you know I always like making people laugh but it was doing it in the wrong way now I have everlasting joy and peace we could see that on you thank you so much for joining us Germaine thank you Mr Steve Harley Germaine says you never know what you are until you've encountered what you are not and if you've ever felt guilty about about something that is you encountering what you are not and it's important to listen to that feeling that's what I hope you guys take from this and you too we'll see you next time until then stay kind good morning this is my daughter Merill hi and we welcome you to our lesson on inclusion for definition let's turn to our resident linguist EMT inclusion is to not leave anyone out to make sure that everyone is included have you ever felt left out of anything once in prek they were playing like kitchen I think and they said they had enough people it felt like oh they don't want me I'm not good enough you ever had that feeling of it yeah I have it doesn't feel good so you guys know how painful that can be fortunately inclusion is a weapon against that and if you want to harness this great power you turn turn to the master of the craft a young man whose story lives in our Archive of amazing Americans categorized under inclusion when the lunch bell rings at bokeh high in boa Ron Florida 3,400 kids spill into the courtyard and split into their social groups but not everyone gets included here at bah high and at schools across the country someone always sits alone it's not a good feeling like you're by yourself and that's something I I don't want anybody to go through Dennis eston is a haian immigrant when he came here in first grade he says he felt isolated especially at lunch now he's a senior he's popular but he has not forgotten that first grade feeling to me it's like if we don't try and go make that change who's going to do it so with some friends Dennis started a club called We Dine together we D together we d together we done together their mission is to go into the Courtyard at lunchtime to make sure no one is starving for company Dennis I'm new here you're new here when did you first come here for new kids especially this is a godsend this Gabriel gab how you doing as a result of the club Brazilian hundreds of friendships have formed some very unlikely you're probably meeting kids you never would meet on the football team ever Jean Max maryo actually quit the football team gave up all the perks that come with it just so he could spend more time with this club I don't I don't mind not getting a football Scot this is why I really want to do just imagine how different your teenage years would have been what's your name if the coolest kids in school all of a sudden decided you mattered we get to know each other better it obviously takes a real Devotion to inclusion to spend your lunch like this yes either that or firsthand experience I went from coming from a school that I always had friends to coming to where I had nobody so Club member Ally cely transferred two years ago she says with no one to sit next to lunch can be the most excruciating part of the day I say it's really unfair it's honestly an issue meeting someone who actually cares and and listens to what you have to say really makes a difference and that could happen at lunch that could happen at our club it's going to make a difference I'll be around tomorrow if you want to eat lunch together or something it's been almost 5 years since we first told that story and I'm really curious what Dennis is up to now hello Dennis hi Steve good to see you again were you able to open other chapters of wean died together right now we are in over I believe 2,000 counties what started in a high school cafeteria has swept the nation has become a movement I know this is your mission but is it also your job now yeah so fulltime since we last spoke seed I've really just been traveling in the child that came to this country not being able to speak the language has now spoken all across the US the child that couldn't even read or write is now in the process of writing a book to help people spread their own movement people don't just get left out in high schools they get left out in adult life too are there lessons for those folks in what you're teaching yeah Steve I think the issue of loneliness and social isolation is something that we will continue to see at every stage of life whether you are 16 or you're 60 we have a responsibility to one another you're changing a lot of lives and helped a lot of kids so thank you so much really appreciate it thank you Steve thank you so much so I guess we need to always be on the lookout for the lonely because sometimes all it takes is a hello to make the world a better place and with that we say goodbye and don't forget to stay kind good morning I'm here with my daughter Merill to celebrate the most important teacher you have you that's right we're talking about self-improvement EMT you want to take a stab into finding this one I know it's a toughy self-improvement is improving yourself genius he gets that from me you know I'm curious have you guys ever tried to improve something about yourself and struggled trying to think do you have any ideas oh I have plenty ideas spit them out but this is self-improvement not Dad Improvement but how about you Marl it was hard getting to have a lot of friends I'm thinking more about just ways you want to make yourself better oh I was not done okay and it's kind of just like sometimes I raise my voice at my friends and maybe you could start by not interrupting her I agree okay yeah self-improvement can be harder than it sounds which is why it's helpful to have motivation and today I have that for you a story pulled from our Archive of the most inspiring Americans this one the perfect role model for self-improvement inside a single wide in cookson Oklahoma a tortured Soul lives alone it's a hard life let me tell you buddy you ain't never lived hard till you go go through what I've been through this is me Ed Bray served in World War II he Normandy on D-Day has two purple hearts and more than a dozen other metals but to this day he still can't even read what they're for not because it's too painful victory victory but because he simply can't read you know what that word is e r o p e yeah the toughest thing that ever happened to me in my life is not being able to read he said you're at Normandy though yes illiteracy can be that damning I've covered this up for 80 years nobody in this town knows I can't read until he retired Ed worked a civilian job at an Air Force Base refueling planes A co-worker helped him with the forms and whatnot at home his wife covered for him for 62 years until she died in ' 09 put you guys some coffee on today Ed manages okay but the soldier in him still refuses to surrender I wanted to read one book I don't care if it's about Mickey Mouse I want read one book before I die over the years Ed says many people have tried to school him but invariably either the teacher or the student would get frustrated and give up then a few months ago a friend suggested he see a professor of reading education here at Oklahoma's Northeastern State University he told me I was wasting my time and I said well we'll just sit and chat a couple times a week is that okay very good Toby Thompson says eventually their weekly talks gave way to flashcards and everything started clicking four he got pretty good at the site words one gets up but the real breakthrough came when at the age of 89 Ed read this book about George Washington it gave me goosebumps and it still does to power a car he read three more shortly after each one good job the same dramatic ending do you ever think you'd read that each one the same lesson for anyone considering self-improvement get in there and learn baby now cuz you ain't going to learn in that Pine Box just learn to read and already a poet and that's the truth 10 years later the one thing no one's been able to read is Ed's obituary he's still with us and he's with us hello Ed I'm ready baby okay you went around and talked to a lot of schools after our story what was your message to them telling them children to read books and put them phones away that's good advice this telephone they got today was the worst invention we've ever made there a pain I think I've already run my own um do you think you inspired other people to read oh yeah yes I got boxes and boxes of letters from all over the world full how old are you now 99 can you believe you made it that long no I don't know what God's got me living for I do what's your reason to inspire other people Ed thank you guys a million thank you so much you made my day today so that's class for today hopefully meeting Ed will inspire a better you we'll see you next time until then stay kind good morning I'm here with my daughter and co- teer Merill hi everyone today we'll be talking about determination as always we start with my brother EMT at the dictionary desk EMT good morning uh determination is to never give up yeah it's like Inner Strength you know how you guys talk a lot about how muscular I am uh no you do most of the time you're not even that strong compared to other men either way yeah yeah I think of determination like mind muscle it's what keeps your brain going when the going gets tough and even though it's an invisible force it can accomplish great things how great well let's look at our library and pull one of my favorite stories about this potent Force called determination I really want to be a doctor when I grow up whenever his two little girls play doctor and dream of becoming one someday let me take your heartbeat doctor Master Mechanic Carl alen is flooded with the feeling of deja vu you wanted to be a doctor oh yeah but that wasn't realistic not where I came from no I grew up in East Cleveland which is a very impoverished City we were on welfare and I remembered a powdered milk government powdered milk and uh block cheese and because they were so poor young Carl quickly set aside his professional aspirations and focused instead on becoming the best auto mechanic he could be so this was the par store where I got all my customers from so you would work on cars in the parking lot of the apart store oh yeah sometimes till 1 2:00 in the morning eventually he got his own shop and for 15 years he did okay until one day he decided to ratchet things up in 2006 Carl enrolled here at ursin College his intention was to get a business degree to help him manage his repair shop but there was one hurdle a biology class he couldn't understand why he had to take it and he put it off as long as possible I'm a business major what do I even care about biology but I went to class and in the first hour of being there I knew what I wanted to do with the rest of my life all those ideas of wanting to be a doctor just came rushing back back and to make a long story short the car doctor Dr Carl alen is now a doctor doctor daddy we love you a few years ago Carl graduated from Northeast Ohio Medical University and today he's an emergency medicine resident at Cleveland Clinic akan General hey Miss Fior by all accounts Carl is already an exemplary doctor partly because according to his supervisors he worked so long in a garage that cannot translate you'd be shocked actually I think it's some of the customer service this is Dr Rebecca Merill but could you imagine right now going and learning auto mechanics no but Carl said he'll do our oil changes so fortunately Carl now has more important repairs on his mind but this old auto mechanic also knows that whether you're working under a hood or staring down a hatch can I have you open up your mouth really wise your success hinges on your drive I would hear people say well Carl it's going to take 9 years to become a doctor yeah and I'd say well N9 years are going to pass anyway so I'd rather be someplace I want to be than some place that I could have been and there's the prescription yeah for the I can't do it Blues I'd rather be someplace I want to be than someplace I could have been smart guy even by doctor standards which is why we were determined to have Dr Carl join us today good morning hey how's it going Steve how do you instill this in kids this determination let them you'll learn much more from your failures than you will from your successes and that they're not going to be good at everything that they want to do earlier EMT defined determination as never giving up and I think you're saying one of the keys to never giving up is just recognizing that you're not going to always succeed yes yes and it's okay what are you determined to do next I want to learn how to play the piano and if you look behind me there's a piano and my daughter Kennedy here actually plays is your dad any good at piano guess not so he goes from a mechanic to a doctor to a musician yes we'll see if that works out okay thanks so much for joining us really appreciate it Steve it was awesome to see you again take care little ones feeling determined yep good because you don't ever want to wonder where you could have been we'll see you next time until then stay kind good morning this is my daughter Merill and today we are Crusaders for justice and to start us on our mission let's toss it over to Merl's brother EMT at the dictionary desk em it justice is the principle that people receive what they deserve like if someone Robs a Bank they deserve to go to jail right it can be a negative consequence that's what police officers and judges do but it can also mean getting someone the credit they deserve and that kind of Justice we can all do out to see what I mean we turn now to our our library of living examples and search for justice so what were you here for soccer game 10-year-old Sarah hok says she was just walking through this park in Shoreline Washington so just about a year ago yeah when she came across something curious it was like the beginning of a mystery yeah a stone with a plaque this is what I first saw it was clearly a tribute but to who I went Pratt 1930 through 1969 and I'm like wow that's really short life I just did the quick math in my head we were like he died at 39 did you wonder why yeah I'm just like that's not typical and since there were no other markings and no one around to ask there were no other Clues Sarah took it upon herself to learn all she could about the life and death of Edwin Pratt she learned he was director of the Seattle Urban League worked on school desegregation and was the first black person to move into Sarah's Town it was a bold and fatal decision Pratt was assassinated right there on the front porch it was just the lack of recognition he's got to have something more than just a plaque outside of a bathroom about that same time across the street from Sarah's school she noticed the district was putting up a new Early Learning Center she found out it didn't have a name yet and her Wheels started turning Sarah launched a petition drive and went all over town explaining to anyone who would listen why that new building should be named after Pratt thank you for helping me honor Edwin Pratt over time she assembled quite a bandwagon would all of those here tonight to support Edwin Pratt please raise your hands at this point the school board really had no choice but to vote on her recommendation all in favor say I I all oppose say nay the vote is unanimous the motion carries about a year after that vote the Edwin Pratt Early Learning Center opened for business Sarah got to tour the school with some Pratt relatives who flew in to meet her and ReDiscover him we as a family have gotten to know more about my uncle and I think we ever would have had this not happened and we can ever thank you enough for that because of Sarah there will never be another kid in Shoreline who doesn't know the name Edwin Bratt and someday she keeps this up everyone will also know the name thank you Sarah ha Sarah for pres Sarah Hao my choice for the next Justice League superhero joins us now Sarah welcome to kindness one1 thank you when you first saw the name on the school what did that feel like I could picture it in my head when it wasn't actually a thing but like just to see it felt really good to be like yeah like that actually happened when a lot of people see injustices to think oh that's not my problem what made you think that you wanted to take this on I think Injustice is kind of everyone's problem if you can do something why not what message do you have for kids like me and EMT who want to do this stuff I would say just go for it like you never really know what will happen and if you don't try that's at least one outcome that's been decided that's great advice thank you so much Sarah really appreciate you joining us yeah thank you bye so next time you see someone not getting the credit they deserve do them Justice and don't forget to stay kind that's my favorite part joining us now in the studio are Steve and his favorite son that would be EMT his favorite daughter that would be Merill EMT is 12 and Merill is eight welcome Hartman family mom Andrea is over there taking pictures welcome Andrea good to see you too Steve why don't you start at not steeve Emma why don't you start us off what inspired you about about Sal so I think it's I think it's amazing that one girl can take the initiative noticing that someone doesn't have enough recognition and then ending up naming a school yeah that she's paying attention when most kids aren't even paying attention about that Merill number one you look lovely I like your Blazer I love how look how Merill is sitting too professional I like it Merill and I like how you always end every segment with stay kind you should see me in the studio every day every time you're on I go I wait wait for that she loves it I love I do I really love it we all do why did you why why do you like ending your segments with that well I think it's just really important it's like a responsibility like if you don't do it you're not you you're not complete and Steve I guess we should throw a question your way as well since you're here if we have to yes since you're here I didn't drive them what's the best part of doing this with your kids you know kindness is something and all the things we talk talk about we all need reminders it's not something you learned once and you you're done with it and I think it's great doing it with my kids because although these lessons do syn in they do need reminders they're typical kids and the adults watching I think need reminders too so it's good to be you know doing this over and over because you know it takes a while to sink in yeah you can't just do it it's not a one it's a one time thing that's why I encourage people to watch these over and over yes yes and speaking of watching these over and over emit or Marl you can take this what does it feel like to know that these videos these Clips are being shown in classrooms around the country maybe even around the world well I feel like it's just amazing to see that someone listens someone knows that you're doing something and that it makes a difference in the world I bet it's quite a powerful thing you're over there on the dictionary desk and your words are going all around the world it's definitely nice to know that other people are listening I feel that too you know Steve I get stopped on the street by teachers mostly but sometimes adults but mostly teachers who say how can I get this in my classroom I love what you guys are doing it's so needed in the world you must be getting this if I'm getting stopped I know you must be getting no we found sort of we found by accident almost that tens of thousands of teachers around the country around the world are are using the stories and we have a Facebook group uh kindness 101 where teachers can share lesson plans and and which stories work to teach with which lessons so we encourage teachers to join that group Steve i' I've worked with my daughter and every time I've done things with her I learn more about her um what have you learned about your kids during this process I've learned that they are much deeper thinkers than I probably gave them credit for originally that um and that I'm learning as much from them as they are from me I think sometimes we think of adults as the teachers but really you know the kids can teach us a lot too that's really good and working with your Dad what's it like EMT in 30 seconds or less uh in 30 seconds or less it's nice uh he's made this his life's dedication kind of to spread stories of kindness around the world and it's been an honor to really help him out he's an inspiration Steve EMT Merill stay this is C stay kind stay stealing Merrill's Line Stay kind good morning this is my daughter Merill hi we couldn't be more enthusiastic for a listen on enthusiasm and for a definition let's go over to your brother EMT at the dictionary desk EMT enthusiasm is like a special kind of joy that fills you with energy to do something perfect have you guys ever heard of Ralph Waldo Emerson no never no it doesn't ring a bell for me oh like where's Waldo no no not where's Waldo this is a guy that wore I think he wore a different shirt every day and he was also a writer too oh Emerson once said nothing great is ever achieved without enthusiasm and he's right enthusiasm is crucial to success and if you want definitive proof look no further than our library of living life lessons and this story about a man with a busload of enthusiasm you can see why someone might hate being a school bus driver the early hours when the weather sours the abundance of responsibility combined with the absence of eyes in the back of your head yeah have a good day nevertheless Curtis Jenkins loves delivering these little ones to Lake Highlands Elementary in Dallas Texas yes Emily gruninger is the principle he goes Way Beyond the outline responsibilities and duties of a bus driver I mean that bus is like a family these are my children these are my community I love them all to establish Community what's your job man he starts by giving everyone responsibility this is one of the police officers it's an elaborate flowchart she's administrative assistant to the president administrative assistant to the president yeah everyone working together to build a yellow bus Utopia and we're going to care about each other and we're going to love everybody right put time effort love care understanding understanding each and every one of those kids to show his love and understanding hey Curtis gives presents throughout the year you say you like baseball each gift personally selected with that child in mind he gave this girl a t-shirt her first book with a picture from a book she made I'm hoping this t-shirt Inspire her to keep on writing books over the years he has bought these kids bikes backpacks handed out cards on birthdays and even turkeys at Thanksgiving he has spent thousands out of his own pocket and yet if you ask the kids what they like most about Curtis the gifts don't even come up he really cares about us is really kind and he helps anyone in need Ethan Engel is a fifth grader means a lot to you yeah he says the bus ride is often the best part of his day my mom got divorced when I was only four see tomorrow he's the father that I always wanted in some ways I just I wish my dad could have been like that we make the mistake sometimes of thinking certain jobs are more important than others I know but Curtis proves with a little enthusiasm you can make any job important a lot has happened since we first told that story and joining us now to tell us about it Curtis Jenkins hello how you doing Steve we're doing great do you still drive a bus I don't drive a bus at this time I was promoted you were promoted yes teaching other bus drivers so you began teaching other bus drivers how to be like Curtis Jenkins yes some of them didn't have to do too much it was a great opportunity for me to show the enthusiasm that I had with the kids and give it to someone else sounds like a good job it does sound like a good job are you still talking to the kids that were on your bus route yeah I go to the school frequently and I see those kids those kids are very very very dear to my heart uh Ethan he's going to the ninth grade now actually we set up a little lunch date me and him and his mom in your opinion do you think that people can make themselves feel enthusiastic about something you can make this up because you know what any job that you get you can find some type of joy everybody can find purpose in everything that they do I'm just grateful that you've decided to dedicate yourself to children so thank you so much and thanks for being with us oh thank you thank you and thank you too we'll be back here again enthusiastically next week until then stay kind good morning this is my daughter Merill and we're here to persevere that's right because we have perseverance for definition let's go over to my brother Emma at the dictionary desk Emma so I think that perseverance is like to keep trying even when there's repeated obstacles or failures good so we all know the tortoise beat the hair right mhm but do you know why was he more talented no no did he cheat no so how did he do it the tortoise Despite All Odds even though he was pretty convinced that he was going to lose still tried that's the point he still tried mhm perseverance allows you to win in life even if you're not the fastest smartest or most talented person in the race all you've got to do is learn to love a challenge and never give up no matter how many setbacks you encounter and of course I have a story to illustrate a story pulled from our Archive of amazing Americans about the power of perseverance girls and boys kitridge Elementary in North Andover Massachusetts was honoring three former students Alex gamble Kira Brown and Celia Dal Salvo had just graduated from high school but the present they left behind when they were here is still all anyone can talk about the kids started working on this gift unwittingly it was 10 years ago they were in second grade and out here on the playground during recess when one of them saw this little rock or what looked like a Little Rock sticking up out of the ground so we kind of thought we were like oh we should just like we found some sticks we're like oh let's just dig this out of the ground they were out there every recess Richard Cushing was principal during much of the excavation and I have to tell you their hearts were broken when when the first Frost appeared you know because they had to stop but year after year they returned to the project digging mostly with sticks and plastic spoons they got from the cafeteria the kids dug down through second grade third grade fourth and fifth until finally just before moving on to middle school they finished the principal brought in heavy equipment to lift it out of the hole for them that was 2008 and now these three are like rock stars around here it was just in the ground sticking out a little bit partly because of the accomplishment itself try digging out something like that with just a plastic spoon but mostly for what The Rock has become it's a evolved into something that we never could have imagined today some kids say this rock has the magical power of making friends it's a beacon to some of the students out there who get picked on and they like go and sit on the Rock and like by the end of recess someone will go sit with them I waited there and then eventually some kids came and that changed my life forever Walter wake is a firm believer in the power of The Rock when I made the those friends it felt magical I thought I would just sit there alone our recess then friends came by this is an amazing Rock mhm it is you'll never forget that rock no not as long as I live when those three started digging they say they used to wonder if one day they would uncover a Buried Treasure and now we know they did and of course none of that magic would have happened if those three hadn't persevered joining us now Alex Kira and Celia hello hi Ste hey guys hello I think a lot of kids would have given up when they started to see how big that rock was what kept you going you know we weren't really thinking about the big picture at the time we were just taking it one step at a time and we had to see it through because we're just those types of people what were the obstacles that you faced and like what tried to stop you so many of the people at School kept telling us we couldn't do it so that gave us some motivation to prove to them that we believe in ourselves even if you don't we're going to get this done what's the difference between perseverance and Obsession because it seems like you guys were kind of walking a fine line here I think it is the fine line that you need like if it's a creative dream you really have to be obsessed in order to have the level of like perseverance to get through and like make it out on top if I'm ever locked up in Alcatraz I know who I want in my cell with me hit us up anytime Steve we're here for you thank you for joining us I really appreciate it it was great to meet you guys you know if perseverance can give you the power to dig a boulder out of the ground with a plastic spoon you can probably do anything that's right good luck unearthing your next treasure and don't forget to stay kind good morning by now you know my daughter Merill good morning everyone today's class is about about friendship and as always we start with your brother EMT at the dictionary desk EMT good morning I'm defining friendship as a lasting affection and trust between two people who are usually not related yeah a friend wouldn't harp on you to unload the dishwasher or make you eat your banana every morning a friend accepts you exactly as you are no matter how different you may seem to that point I have a story I'd like to share it's one of my favorites from the archives because I think captures the true essence of true friendship red Miami preschoolers Gia sarnicola and Zuri copelan say they're not best friends I know they say they're closer than that closer than mere sisters even in fact Gia and Zuri truly believe they're twins oh yeah Ashley and Valencia are their moms they will tell you that they are twins and they have a long list of reasons why to back it up to them what makes a twin uh similarities similarities look come come here for example the girls say their birthdays are practically the same day and the obvious physical similarities so what am I looking at here the same height oh cuz you're the same height clearly twins which is why they also insist on matching outfits whenever possible so far Ashley and Valencia have indulge them but they also recognize there is some bitter to this Suite you know you're happy you know for a few seconds and then you become sad because they have to grow up and then Society takes over indeed Society already tried to take over Zuri and Gia were at a birthday party when an older kid told him they couldn't be twins because they don't have the same skin color Gia broke down but through her tears she got out this rebuttal she said you don't know what you're talking about we're twins because we share the same Soul h i just get chill bumps um soul I was just like thrown by just that word yeah obviously what Gia was trying to say is that at our core we are one and when we look back on our years of division and racial Strife it's important to remember that while all this was going on so was this we had have a lot to learn and and we can learn from children in fact the moms say they already have for sure we've never talk so much on the phone and that's what the twins want for all of us to push back against the cynics some girls we're not twins and we are are twins and move on to the more important things in life you know what we're going to get today what we're going to get ice cream and you don't oh it's been 5 years since we first told that story and no surprise here Gia and Zuri are still best Twins and they join us now hello girls Okay first why didn't you let my dad have ice cream obviously he doesn't need it but I'm just wondering probably because we don't want anyone to take it because clearly weren't trying to make friends with me how old are you now we're at nine years old yep do you still see each other a lot yes 247 what do you think is it key to staying close as long as you have we communicate after a fight and we always say sorry and hug it out and it doesn't matter which one say sorry first but you should always apologize how long do you think this friendship is going to last for a long long time long long long long time and if I came by there to see you again is there any chance I could get some ice cream or no maybe maybe well thanks for your time and for showing us what a real twin ship looks like thank you for inviting us you're welcome sweetie bye lots of good advice in there but of course the best way to get a good friend or to keep one is to be one we'll see you next time and don't forget to stay kind good morning this is my daughter Merill and today I'm going to be perfectly Frank with you because today's class is about honesty and for a definition let's toss it over to my brother EMT at the next night desk EMT good morning ml honesty is basically not telling lies and not being deceptive in any way perfect have you ever lied about anything yes but not on an basis not on a what basis not on a regular basis I think everyone has lied there's even studies showing that parents lie I've never seen such a study like what would a parent possibly lie about I totally didn't eat the Oreos got me there there was like a whole row gone don't like I don't like the direction this is going I feel like everyone has to lie at some point why do you think people aren't honest all the time I feel like often times people have a fear of being in trouble yeah dishonesty can get you short-term gains but if you're honest the long-term gains can be so much more reward ing to prove the point let's look at a classic from our archives a story that shows just how rewarding honesty can be of all the things a little girl can aspire to Charlotte mccort of South Orange New Jersey says the most important of these is to be truthful yes it's like a core feeling why so important to you because if you're not honest then what are you Charlotte says the first eight words of the Girl Scout Law are I will do my best to be honest so when it came time to paddle her Girl Scout cookies she decided to tell her customers the whole truth in this letter to one customer that went viral on the internet she wrote the Girl Scout organization can sometimes use false advertisement she then graded the cookies she gave the Dosey Do a five for its unoriginal Bland flavor while saving most of her venom for the dreaded toffee tastic she gave it a one for being a bleak flavorless gluten-free Wasteland it's as flavorless as dirt she wrote my sister and I threw out the box like we tried everything we tried dunking it in tea we tried dunking it in hot chocolate it was just gross would you like to buy some Girl Scout cookies as you might expect brutal honesty like that can have a dramatic impact on sales Charlotte was hoping to sell 300 boxes is that all but she got nowhere near that nowhere near that's you that is all me when we visited she had already sold more than 23,000 boxes how do you explain this truth and advertising apparently honesty has become such an aberration the truth so sadly missed that when all these people read Charlotte's letter they felt compelled to support her I sold thousands of smes and thousands of thin mints have you sold any toffee tastics to my grandmother it was before Charlotte wrote the letter just one box so then she gave them her to her friend who who has a dog who no who has a gluten Aly okay so there is your hope America that Honesty can and will prevail hard to imagine a better role model for honesty than Charlotte mccort who joins us now hello Charlotte hello where did you learn to be so honest from my parents my parents were very honest to me growing up and that kind of taught me how to live my life and how to live my life honestly do you think honesty is always the best policy or are there exceptions like when my wife asked me if she looks good in a dress honesty doesn't have to be your raw opinion you can present honesty in a kind way and honesty and kindness don't have to conflict so I think instead of being honest all the time just live your life with an air of honesty so what do you want to be when you grow up I really want to work in politics I would love to be like a chief of staff for a senator so you're giving up on the honesty thing you can do both you can do both you know that's not a field known for its honesty I think that's why it's so important to bring honesty into it well I think you've got our vote right thanks for being with us thank you so that wraps up another successful class and to celebrate I'd like to reward you both with a heaping helping of toffee tastics really really they Horrible no does anybody have water we'll see you next time and don't forget to stay kind good morning this is Merill my daughter and today's lesson is creativity very creative sign today thank you for a definition we go over to your brother EMT below the dictionary desk Adit good morning so creativity is essentially taking an old thing and looking at it in a new way that's kind of cool it's kind of like thinking outside the box or in this case under the desk right turning convention on its head literally on its head and its case exactly creativity makes things funnier easier or more beautiful than they would have been otherwise and of course I have a story to illustrate this is about a man who's carved out quite a niche for himself in the art world a man so creative it's scary when you watch The Villa Fane family of Michigan dig into their Halloween pumpkins go start carving the first question that comes to mind is there he goes there he goes what a pumpkin ever do to them Norman Bates carved more kindly and yet this is how Ray vilane teaches his kids how to start on a pumpkin and not just his kids take this tool he goes around to schools and tries to get other kids to adopt the same skin them alive approach if you want to make a good pumpkin you have to push the limits there's clearly a Madness to his method Ray is not completely out of his gour in fact he may be a genius it's a different way of thinking for the past 15 years Ray has spent every October in his basement Studio Reinventing the art of pumpkin carving using sculpting tools instead of knives Ray can now take a pumpkin and over the course of about 8 hours turn it into a truly Museum quality fruit to me you you carve a pumpkin to transform it into something that's alive believe it or not all these started out as single pumpkins each carving more improbable than the next each creation challenging the limits of what is pumpkiny possible I'm so obsess if when I get into something I don't go to sleep I stay up all night I keep doing it has he been like this since you met him um pretty much an apple honey Ray's Wife Tammy says pumpkins were just the beginning I need a knife they merely opened his eyes to an infinitely carvable world today the former grade school teacher sculpts fulltime he makes models like this for toy companies and he's starting to get into sand sculpting too this is what he made the first time he ever tried Ray clearly has a gift such a gift it's almost a curse I see the eyes are too big like so many people who are the best at what they do structure of the face is not right Ray is rarely satisfied with anything he does would you throw it away I've thrown away better ones in this yeah and although it drives his wife nuts Ray says it's a healthy Neurosis that fuels his creativity and of course 15 years of practice doesn't hurt either Ray revolutionize the Jacko Lantern and before you say you could never do that you're not a creative person let's hear what Ray has to say on the subject good morning Ray good morning do you worry about making mistakes when you're trying something new usually never except when I got people watching me sometimes when people are watching we want to stay safe so we don't explore which means that we don't create is this why so many creative things happen in people's basements yeah probably it's right so do you have any specific tips for tapping into your creative side yes losing EXP expectations cuz sometimes when we want to we want to create something we make the goal more important than the process what do you do when you're not feeling particularly creative I go for walks go for runs if you're stressed you can never be creative I noticed that absolutely your mind is like a vessel that has water in it and those water are all your thoughts talking and you want an idea but there's no room in it because there's so much talking you got to pour all that out and go like this and all of a sudden ideas and creativity just pour right in all right well you've given us so much to work with thank you for all the great advice oh thank you bye-bye you know maybe we should invent a new way to carve pumpkins like maybe with your teeth no yeah with your teeth why not with your teeth or what if you don't carve them at all okay happy Halloween everyone we'll work on that we'll see you next time and until then stay kind good morning this is my daughter Merill hi everyone today's class is about reverence for definition let's go over to my brother EMT at the dictionary desk EMT good morning Merl when you show someone reverence you're treating them with profound respect almost like awe right and since Veterans Day is coming up today we're going to focus on reverence for the military Merill for the longest time you could only fall asleep if your mom or I were in the room with you why was that I guess it gave me the knowing that somebody was watching over me right and adults need that too we need someone to help us sleep at night and that's why a lot of Americans have great reverence for our military Guardians and their families and people show that reverence in some remarkable ways as you'll see in this story pulled from our kindness 101 archive filed under reverence wa even in Texas a horse only gets you so far which is why 15-year-old Justin roer has been thinking lately about a car specifically he told his mom Jessica he would love to have a car that his dad once owned who I mean it could have been a 1974 Dodge Astro I don't even know if that's car but he it could have been anything and he would have said yes why I know that he wishes his dad was here in 2003 Justin's dad Army first lieutenant Jonathan Roser died in Iraq Justin was 9 months old today he cherishes anything that used to belong to his dad which is why he thought it would be so cool to have his car I don't know like just knowing that that he had it is a whole lot different than just any other thing unfortunately after John died Jessica had to sell the car a 99 Toyota Celica convertible like this one finding it again would be nearly impossible but Jessica said she had to at least try I feel like this is something that would would connect him so she turned to Facebook posted the old VIN number with a note asking for help and somehow that message made it all the way to Pleasant Grove Utah where local residents not only found the car we decided you know let's let's see if we can buy the car this is Kyle Fox now I'm not saying he's a saint something that to serve and um and that butterfly stayed there for half an hour no I don't even know where I was in that anyway Kyle who runs a nonprofit called follow the flag got donations to purchase the car and then assembled a team of volunteer mechanics to fix it like new all of this unbeknownst to Justin until this very moment Kyle drove the car from Utah to surprise Justin for his 15th birthday goar see it I can't tell you what this meant to Justin I mean I really can't he tried to explain it to me but when he opened his mouth no words fell out it's a link to the past for him it's a big thing for me too I never got to see him come home so that just one moment right there was I think I needed that obviously this was never about a car this was about finding a way to push past what you can't forget and somehow remember what you never knew I'm so glad we could do this for you grateful American and Butterfly magnet Kyle Fox joins us now hello Kyle hey how's it going thanks for having me why do you think veterans and their families deserve such reverence to live in the this land of Freedom somebody sacrificed to the extent of signing their life away and so to just be free in America I recognize the the real truth of what it took to get me there what other things have you done to honor veterans a friend of mine I I asked him if he'd help me hang a big flag across the canyon wait how do you do that we got a big line and we kind of shower curtained a flag out there on July 3rd how big was this flag4 acre 400 lb 5 foot Stars wow were you ever in the military yourself I was not but um we all have ways that we can serve and this has become mine thank you so much thanks for talking to us and thanks for all you've done thank you very much guys thank you Veterans Day is Friday obviously we don't expect people to go out and donate a car to show their gratitude but a little note might be nice we'll see you next time until then stay kind good morning this is Merill my soon Tobe 9-year-old daughter here to help me teach a lesson on positivity EMT at the dictionary desk can you define this word yes I can real positivity is the practice of extracting a sunny takeaway from a not so good situation yeah positivity isn't being happy because you won the lottery that's easy it's not too easy no not winning the Lottery but being happy if you win the lottery yes winning the lottery is going to be something that everyone is excited about positivity is really like you have to take a bad situation and look at it yeah positivity is finding joy in the negative strange as that sounds correct and this is a very important tool to have in your tool belt so let's look now in our library of life lessons and pull down a tale that illustrates the power of [Music] positivity aside from immediate family no one was allowed in the house to see 3-year-old Quinn Waters of wouth Massachusetts and more importantly Quinn wasn't allowed out we basically keep them in a bubble just as a precaution even a cold a common cold could be something that will bring him back into the hospital parents jarli and Tara say Quinn's natural immunity was temporarily wiped out after he got a stem cell transplant to treat his brain cancer we are a t again fortunately the kid is a fighter and he kept a mostly positive attitude do you want to drink or anything dude no thank you but it's still stunk he sees all of this happening and he knows he's stuck inside um and there would be days Days When Quinn was literally pounding to get out unfortunately staring out a window is a poor substitute for walking out a door Quinn's connection to the outside world has been limited to whoever passes by which hasn't been all that limiting actually it started off with family members like come to the window then the neighbors started showing up to entertain the police caught wind and pretty soon top-notch performers were just showing up on Quinn's front lawn it's turned into like a Vaudeville stage out there yeah the window kind of became his window to the world you know it got so you never knew what might happen by one minute it could be a dog parade look at that dog the next a team of Irish Step dancers everyone brought together by word of mouth and a will to help Quinn get better which his parents say did start happening it's the positive energy from all these people that we believe has gotten him CH his his sickness you know we can ever repay you know just maybe pay forward you know being indebted has never felt so so fortunate come on without come on within you'll not see not like the mighty [Music] [Applause] [Music] Queen Quinn's parents Tara and jarth join us now hello hello hi first of all you've got to tell us how Quinn's doing oh Quinn is doing really well he relapsed in 2020 one um but since that time he received radiation and he's been stable playing t-ball now with his friends he's in school he looks great hair I've never seen hair on the boy yes he's got a great flow going he's got the hockey hair we call it what struck me most after our first visit was the fact that you seem to think that positivity would actually make him better I don't think it can all be just modern medicine I think you have to have a positive outlook on things so you think that thought can change reality 100% absolutely yeah it'll change the outcome and I think it'll change your outlook as you go on anything and has the grass grown back on your yard grass will never be the same well thank you so much for joining us we've been positively thrilled to have you thank you for having us a really good lesson there and a reminder that often when one door closes another window opens we'll see you next time until then stay kind good morning I'm here with my daughter Merill hi everyone today we're talking about not talking or otherwise known as listening em it at the dictionary desk how would you define this word for our purposes here I would Define listening as showing respect with your ears o with your ears getting Fancy with the definitions I like that yeah listening is actually one of the best ways to show someone you care or to make friends which is kind of counter in intive like how could listening help you make friends it's just nice to know someone's listening that somebody cares that somebody will always be there for you and like to know that their opinion matters exactly to prove the point let's turn now to our library of Great American role models and pull a story guaranteed to make you a better person if only you listen in St Petersburg Florida when the Sun rises Al Nixon sets for his impromptu therapy sessions how have you been are you surprised at what people tell you not anymore Al isn't a trained therapist I've been concerned he actually works for the city water department he's dismissing but in these early morning hours he's a trusted Confidant and counselor to whoever passes by and I wrote to him and I said Rene rutstein is a regular he knows everything about me did you feel weird sharing all your secrets to a guy on a bench no because he'll never judge me and he always shoots me straight he's not judgmental and he takes you for who you are bernardet Dorset Mills says she has never met a wiser man he's like the guide and force at the same time I don't hear you talking a lot no I just see a lot of nodding like you're doing now and a lot Ms listening is the number one skill all mankind needs to know how to do very well mhm a skill he has clearly mastered mhm when Al started coming here 7 years ago the therapy was for him he needed a quiet place to clear his head and the last thing he wanted was to hear other people's problems but then a woman he' never met told him something he'll never forget she said every day I see you I know everything is going to be okay and that made me realize that when you speak to someone or you smile you let them know I value you and people pick that up when I walk by sometimes you know I don't even get a chance to chat with him because there are other people waiting in line in appreciation for always being there Al's faithful put a plaque on his bench to a loving and loyal friend and a confidant to many forever and always that was powerful how can such a simple plaque be that powerful when you express to someone you m to me they gave you back what you gave them everyone needs an owl good morning sweetie even beautiful have a great day you too fortunately I don't just have an Al I have the Al he joins us now hello how's everyone doing we're doing great thank you if people started talking less and listening more how do you think it would change their lives in my opinion I think you learned when you speak less and listen more how far away do people come to see you from all over the country and different parts of the world why do you think people come from far and wide they want selfies and they want to sit on the bench they want to actually be on that bench with me do you think it helps you as much as it helps them yes I think it helps you in the sense that I know what I meant to do yeah to know your purpose is practically the meaning of life you're a beautiful man I know it probably makes you uncomfortable to say as many words as you had to today but we really appreciate you talking with us thank you very much and kindness matters and one of the greatest ways you can show kindness is to care enough to listen great thank you so much Al you're welcome Steve you know I find it helpful sometimes when I'm in a conversation to think of how many words I'm saying versus how many words the other person is saying and I tried to keep it to one word for me for every two words for them and I think if everybody did that the world would be a Kinder Place wait a second that wouldn't work out mathematically not everyone can do that he needs to know when to listen we'll see you next time until then stay kind good morning this is my daughter Merill hello everyone today our word is remembrance and we begin with my son EMT over at the dictionary desk good morning remembrance is the act of remembering or showing respect for someone who has died right it can also be a momento something that reminds you of that person that dictionary in front of you you know where that came from no that was my mom's oh really even the stapler was my mom's I think you saved that yeah probably because it gives you good memories of your parents in my everyday tasks yeah which I think is is actually pretty cool remembrance whether it's a thought or a thing keeps people alive in our hearts and on this day it's especially important which is why I pulled a story from our library about a 9/11 Widow and her remarkable Act of remembrance after 20 years in a box Monica ikin is ironing her wedding dress getting ready to wear it once more and although she will wipe away every wrinkle she will not smooth over the tragedy it represents I think wearing the dress makes a statement what is the statement that I was happily married the day he died and I was looking forward to having a family Monica was married just 11 months when her husband Michael a bond Trader died in Tower 2 it was a brief marriage but Monica says the loss feels Everlasting there is no moving on you never move on from it you move in you move into the life that was chosen for you hi my name is Monica ien founder of September's Mission when I first met Monica just 4 months after 9/11 she'd already moved into that new life we will fight advocating for a memorial on the site of the towers and warning that any other use of the land would be unacceptable you're going to stand down there absolutely in front of the bulldozers and not let them put up a building right we don't build over crying Souls she was tenacious Relentless George New York Governor at the time says it's important to remember that a lot of people didn't think we needed a memorial here people who just said we had to move on just rebuild but Monica said this was hollowed ground was there a louder voice than hers A lot of people deserve credit for that but certainly Monica Ian is among the most Monica has since remarried and has a family but she freely admits and has come to accept that she will always be in love with two men we can live our lives but still keep that memory moving in but never moving on her motto and her vision for this most Sacred Space Monica ikin joins us now welcome thank you for having me what else do you have for M that you cherish I have his baseball cards that he saved not in good condition by the way I have the shorts I didn't like the Hat I didn't like the shirt I didn't like why do we save these things there's something about having the shorts that you hated it just brings back fun memories is it hard for your new husband that Michael still feels so much of your heart yes it's unfortunate it's not his fault and it's not my fault you can't control who we love in life let's put it that way the memorial is our national remembrance but it's personal to you what goes through your mind when you look at those pools I Feel Michael when I'm there so for me that is where I'm happiest because I know he's there I'm curious we were just there what went through your mind when you were looking in those pools how hard it must have been for everybody that lost people there obviously that Memorial is doing its job that kids in future Generations will still feel the loss I just also don't want it to be always sad like yes there are sad moments but I want it to be more inspiring like we have to live for them Monica thank you for all you've done and for being with us today thank you as always pleasure a remembrance can be something big like those two giant fountains or it can be something small like a tattered dictionary but it's always a monument to love loss and the spirit that lives in you we'll see you next time until then stay kind good morning this is Merill hi everyone today's topic is finding joy and for a definition we go to my smiling brother em at the dictionary desk good morning M I'm defining joy as a feeling of great Delight intense ecstatic happiness I'll take some of that you remember the other day when I was taking air out of that inner tube oh yeah yeah that that was fun that was really fun for whatever reason I don't know if it was like the the of like the air going out it was just taking air out of an in tube I don't know there's really like random things in life that bring you Joy for some reason or what about are you really enjoying this yeah it's just really satisfying this is proof that if you want to find Joy especially in the little things you need to think like a child and no one proves that point better than the kids you're about to meet this is a story from my archive about how you can find pure joy even in the most unlikely places Kyle crit bomb of Adrian Miss michig is vacuuming on cloud n it's kind of like people who like baseball better than football you like vacuums better than everything and he's felt that way since before he could say Hoover when Kyle was a baby in his little baby seat and I'd be vacuuming um he would just he would just be mesmerized by the vacuum and he would just he'd follow it everywhere so his mom got him his own vacuum at age one dressed up as a Dirt Devil for Halloween at age two and as his former teacher recalls was vacuuming during recess at age six and actually one day vacuumed one side of the room the next day vacuum the other side of the room also vacuum the principal's office anywhere he could vacuum later he started collecting them it's a slow starter but it still runs perfect much to the Chagrin of his older sister he's constantly vacuuming that's all I hear and it's just like why why why why why why I don't understand do you remember what it was Kyle is so obsessed he had me call my parents to find out what vacuum I grew up with they had a JC Penny at one time a pen Crest apparently this particular vacuum is very rare only one other is known to exist what' you do with it you threw it out and there went His Holy Grail but that's part of the joy for Kyle the quest he repairs neighbors vacuums and uses the money to require more did it survive and more vacuums when is enough enough my parents say that all the time when I go off to college my parents say that they're going to have a big vacuum sale he thinks they're joking I'm not so sure it's been 16 years since we first told that story is it possible is he still finding Joy from vacuum cleaners let's find out hello Kyle hello how's it going good do you still have your collect I do I have a Shelf with like uh vacuum stacked vertically and horizontally across some shelves wow did you ever get your hands on a green pen crust ah I sure did you did hilarious where did it come from it wasn't from Toledo Ohio was it it was from akan Ohio oh it could be the same one I know maybe somebody picked it up what has been your most joyous moment as a collector if I find something that like one of my friends is after and then I can restore and surprise them with it that's always fun my rest wait wait wait wait what what kind of friends do you have vacuum friends come on because if you surprise me with an old vacuum I'm not sure that would bring me joy that's awesome how have you been able to maintain this childhood joy into adulthood I don't know I feel like we get so dogged nowadays with like everything that's going on in the world that you have to find something to like and appreciate you know Kyle thank you so much for spending time with us thank you I'm glad we did that lesson because if he can find joy in cleaning equipment we should be able to find it in a lot of other unlikely places all we need to do is Think Like A Child we'll see you next time until then stay kind good morning I'm here with my daughter Merill with a lesson on sacrifice and for a definition we turn now to to my brother Emma at the dictionary desk hi Merl so I'm defining sacrifice as giving up something that's important to you for the sake of someone else or to benefit them good and why would anyone ever want to do that uh well can I use a chest Rin super quick sure so uh a sacrifice in chest is like when you sacrifice a piece but it helps you like later on so a sacrifice isn't always something that is just a complete loss to you uh you can gain something from a sacrifice as well interesting we'll get to that in a bit all right sacrifice is next level kindness kindness 2011 sort of Master's level kindness this is when you give till it hurts because you know in the end you'll receive something far greater to see what I mean let's take a look in our library a tale of a man who has so much because he sacrificed so much at one point number 60 Jason Brown was one of the best centers in the NFL at one point he had a 5-year $37 million contract with the St Louis Rams and at one point he sacrificed all of it my agent you know he told me he said you're making the biggest mistake of your life and I looked right back at him I said no I am not so what could possibly Trump the NFL you wouldn't believe Jason quit football to be a farmer even though he'd never done it a day in his life how did you learn even to do what you're doing get on the internet you want watch YouTube videos you can still plant your CR thanks to YouTube and some good advice from other Farmers here in Lewisburg North Carolina Jason was able to harvest a field of sweet potatoes when you see them pop up out of the ground man it's the most beautiful thing that you could ever see he says he has never felt more successful not in man stand standards but in God's eyes but God cares about the NFL I see people praying to him on the field all the time yeah yeah there's a lot of people praying out there but when I think about a life of greatness I think about a life of of service which leads us here which leads us here yes see his plan for this Farm is to donate the bounty to food pantries it's unusual for a grower to grow a crop just to give away Rebecca pagee organizes food collection for the needy and that's what Jason has done and he's planning to do more next year Jason has a thousand acres here which could go a long way toward eliminating hunger in this neck of North Carolina love is the most wonderful currency that you can give anyone you sure you played in the NFL yes cuz I feel like cuddling you right now don't do that apparently even on the farm holding is still a penalty Farmer Brown joins us now hello Jason glad to be here coming from first fruits Farm you should have tried hugging my dad it's not as bad as you might think look look I I know I look like a big teddy bear but you got to be warned don't try and hug the Bears are you still giving away what you grow definitely um to date we have donated more than a million pounds of food uh and still growing how do you afford to do that we have thousands of volunteers they'll give up a Saturday morning to come get their hands dirty and help to to harvest and grow all of this awesome food what have you gained from your sacrifice it seems illogical that sacrifice could get you something a well well guess what all good things come with with sacrifice you're not going to be able to get the awesome juice from the berries or the grapes unless they're squeezed you're not able to get diamonds unless they're put under pressure all right and going through sacrifices that's what actually brings out the best in us beautiful Jason thank you so much for what you do and for joining us today thank you so much for having me you know that saying give till it hurts I think we need to change that to give till it hurts and then keep giving till it feels great we'll see you next time until then stay kind good morning I'm here with my daughter Merill and I'm here with the word of the day encouragement and across the way my son AMT with a definition so this one's really easy because the definition is hidden right in the word encouragement is giving someone courage and confidence interesting you know without encouragement I don't even think Superman could accomplish what he did imagine if people were like uh you know you can't go faster than a speeding bullet you're a lot of kryptonite out there there well I think I think also a lot of people just need a voice out there to tell them that they're going to succeed good and of course I have a story to share about this a story pulled from our archive about the importance of going to bat for people otherwise known as encouragement 11-year-old Ellie dowy of Amherst Virginia eats sleeps and talks baseball now up the B she announces for her local Junior team and practices Big League broadcasting from her living room look at his blocking skills but she didn't know girls could do this as a career until she listened to a Baltimore Orioles game now there's two outs and I thought I can do that too that is possible Ellie's proof possible is play-by-play announcer Melanie Newman how we doing Ellie was so taken by her that a couple years ago she reached out to Melanie in the only way she knew how oh that is cute her sign read hey Melanie Newman need help in the Booth's and the answer was yes all right Ellie are you ready to call a pitch yeah yes ma'am all right Melanie invited Ellie to call part of a game have a 3-2 count because Melanie assumed that's what the girl wanted we have a outside ball and it was in part but when Ellie held up that sign she didn't just want to help Melanie in the booth she wanted to help Melanie as a person I was just Hing hoping that she would see it and see that a lot of young girls are looking up to her because when Melanie was growing up she had to push through all the people telling her that no only men can do that it's true and some men continued to hurl sexist barbs at Melanie on social media but there to deflect them with her single ply poster board stands Ellie dowy who returned with a new sign that read Melanie Newman is fire what does that feel like like to see that it really takes you back for a minute and here's where we saw just how much Melanie appreciates the support I've paid a lot of dues to just get here and the hope is when those little girls make those signs their dues are so much less in sports people are always clawing their way to the town this is so cool but the true heroes of any game are the ones who lift others Ellie dowy joins us now hello Ellie hi did you have any idea how much Melanie would appreciate your encouragement um I really didn't she signaled a heart and I just thought that'd be the end of it but then later mom got a call and she wanted to meet me are you still in touch with Melanie yes I am we talk on Instagram all the time and she comments on my posts encouraging me and whenever she's on the TV for the Orioles I always text her and make sure to let her know that she's doing great you got like a little encouragement party going on there always what are some ways we can show encouragement to our friends school like if somebody's very like nervous about a test or something and you can just be like I know you got this you're gonna pass this test and you think that will actually help them pass the test because if others think you can do it then you think you can do it that's so perfect Ellie thank you so much for joining us I really appreciate it you're welcome thank you for having me this was good because friendship is about more than good company it's about instilling confidence in each other and if you're not doing that I encourage you to do so we'll see you next time until then stay kind good morning this is Merl and Welcome to our lesson on advocacy and we begin as we so often do with my brother EMT at the dictionary desk so when you're advocating for someone you're basically pleading on their behalf it's like helping other people help themselves good can you give me some examples Martin Luther King advocated for civil rights lawyers advocate for their clients oh and it could even come down to parents advocating for their kids great and of course I have a story to show you about advocacy and I chose this story because it's about some people who advocated not for a cause or a friend or relative but for a total stranger and the results well they were lifechanging it's generally not polite to stare at people in a gym but here at the YMCA in Nashville Tennessee there was one college girl named Lauren LAX that some people couldn't help but look at couldn't help but notice how thin she was getting how dangerously thin she was getting her body was just deteriorating you could see it her eyes were getting kind of gray and sunk in and didn't look good they say it was a Pity to watch and most people would have probably left it at that but not these y members we knew what we had to do first thing they did was secretly track down Lauren's parents who lived in another state her folks confirmed that Lauren was anorexic and had been since she was about 10 over the years she been in and out of treatment several times to no avail so the group started plotting their own intervention we can't sit back and one day she not be here because we didn't do something it happened here in the parking lot when Lauren arrived for her workout they surrounded her car and told her they were taking her to the hospital Lauren protested she cried said leave me alone pretty forcefully and yet this random group of people who really barely knew her refused to give up on her we said we're not taking No for answerer please just we're just going to take the hospital and have your Vital Signs checked we could not let her get away if she left us we'd never see her again they all agreed yes and now Lauren too and so I don't think I would be here talking today Lauren says after they brought her to the hospital her heart came so close to failing doctors almost had to put in a pacemaker but she survived that scare returned to treatment and put on 35 I cannot even express how my mind thinks so differently than I did what a gift they gave you they were the instigators of starting my recovery how are you see those folks could have so easily just said not my problem but instead they advocated not because Lauren was friend or family but because she's human you look so wonderful it's been n years since I first told that story and we can't wait to catch up with Lauren hello how you doing it's great to see you again do you stay in touch with them I do I stay in touch with them regularly I text with them regularly and actually had a reunion this past year to honor the angels and set up a fund for individuals that are struggling with eating disorders when the people at the gym wanted to help you why did you put up such a fight I thought I could do it on my own thought I was doing it on my own and fighting for just my freedom I guess and but really what I didn't realize is I actually was not free I was very much in bondage to something greater than I could have overcome on my own what happened after the treatment my life path really was altered actually I've been working one-on-one with individuals for the past almost 10 years now to really help individuals take their health back into their own hands is my biggest life mission now and what should you do if you know someone within eating disorder but they say they don't want your help I guess one thing that one of my angels said to me that morning in the parking law is Lauren we don't know what we would do if tomorrow we come to the gym and you're not there and so really speaking Truth and Love could be what separates just a person's life from death situation as well all right thank you so much appreciate you joining us thank you you know change almost never comes easy especially when you feel alone but when someone steps up to be your Advocate takes your hand and says let's fight this together what seemed impossible all of a sudden is it we'll see you next time until then stay kind good morning today marily and I are here to offer comfort and as always we start with my brother EMT at the dictionary desk good morning to comfort means to make someone feel better when they are sad and worried good t typically our first taste of comfort comes from our parents and our lovies like me right yes of course duck this was Merl's lovey oh and this was my lovey I used to carry around non-stop when I was three what if you didn't have them as children awful it would be awful if I didn't have them I'm actually really enjoying the comfort of this blanket right now yeah none of your friends at school are going to see this you can just add that part oh no okay yeah that's what lovees do but they can also open a portal into some very deep feelings never felt before as you'll see in this story pulled from our archives about a lovey and this basic human need for Comfort hands are so sticky whoever coined the phrase military brat get a paper towel obviously never met the Angelic daughter of Army staff sergeant Nicholas pogum and his wife Jen McKenzie is three and if you look closely at pictures of her over the years you'll notice something that giraffe which she calls rafy is in almost every shot she always wants to go to bed with it when she's sick she wants it it's like her friend the way that she acts with it is like it's her friend Jen says this friend has been McKenzie's constant through their many moves and has been especially comforting during Nick's deployments when he's gone for weeks and months at a time she still has this one thing had this one thing yeah sorry it got lost during their most recent move Rafi is her her Lifeline it's it's one of the only things that she has all the time losing a lovey really can feel ra like a very big deal where are you Ry McKenzie first noticed rafie was missing right before their move from Washington State to Pennsylvania I want to take him to Pennsylvania yeah her parents assumed he was in a box somewhere not yet but for 11 long days Mckenzie had to live without her soulmate until finally at the very end of their unpacking as soon as Jen found it I was like let me record this reaction we have to get this they hid rafie in the refrigerator and told McKenzie to get a drink as you would expect she was delighted to be reunited what is it but in this moment McKenzie made another even more surprising discovery that a very strange thing happened happens when you're really really happy CH my eyes a cuz you're happy he's back now in all of her life she' never been so happy that she cried he's back CH it's got to feel weird the first time but surrendering to this quirky human trait can be one of life's greatest Joys as I'm sure some of you at home can now attest it's been 8 years since we first told that story and we have questions joining us now Jen Nicholas and McKenzie hello Hi how are you we're great is rafie still with you yes I have him right wow you know you still have rafie Merl still has duck EMT still has scratch blankie and I still have the blanket I had 50 years ago why do we hold on to these things long after we supposedly you know need them it's something that you have a close connection with and it holds that comfort and I don't think you can ever really get rid of something like that voluntarily at least I was going to say that you know lovees are mostly plush but I've done a story about a kid who carried around a full-size skeleton as his lovey you know lawn ornaments so if it's not the softness that makes for a great lovey what is it it helps you go through your emotions and is just makes you love it and care for it more than anything and we're hoping when she's in college she's the only college student with her stuffy so she has a story to tell that's great thank you very much for talking with us today oh absolutely no story I've ever told shows more clearly our craving for comfort and although we outgrow our blankies and stuffies we should never forget the example they set and comfort others with the same love and devotion as they comforted us we'll see you next time until then stay kind good morning this is my daughter Merill and this is our lesson on humanity and we begin our lesson with my brother EMT at the dictionary desk so I think I have a good definition for this one humanity is the moral thread that binds All Humans together that is a good one I'd also say that to show humanity is to see our our sameness to look at pictures like these and not immediately start sorting them like biker dude or religious people or person with disabilities but instead to look at pictures like these and see EMT human right human right they're all human all human and if we start seeing people all as the same first what does that eliminate racism yeah and uh like gender discrimination I guess as well excellent a few years ago I met a woman who wasn't great at seeing everyone as a person first but she got better much better and is now the perfect example for how to see and show Humanity used to be when Ginger Sprout came across homeless people she would often give them something her two cents I would say when to you get a job or what's your problem I've been that way my whole life but one day Ginger who owns a cooking school outside Houston decided she didn't like that about herself and would try to change he would stand right here on the corner she began right there by approaching a guy she used to see all the time on her way to work his name is Victor hubard Victor says he told Ginger how he ended up on the streets after his mother moved away and left him you had no idea where your mom no I I didn't know where she was he says Ginger listened to his story and went on her way then I couldn't get him out of my mind and so I was like okay fine I'll go back but what really got me this is probably after the third time I met him he said when are you coming back it was a light bulb moment that led to one final visit it was a cold December night and although Victor had food and blankets there's only so much comfort you can pass through a car window so Ginger did something something something the old Ginger would have never dreamed of doing she went to her husband with a request I I asked Dean would it be okay with you if I went and got him and I said if he could just stay one night because it's raining well okay stop right there okay I had to think about it you know sure you did I'm starting to recognize a slippery slope here yes exactly the honest truth is you know when she says I feel compelled to help this guy how can I say no to that and that's how Victor hubard found his second family oh yeah moving in with ginger and Dean is my favorite they helped him get Social Services and doctor's appointments introduced him to the community and made him part of it Victor also got two jobs one at a burger joint yep just like that and another at a cooking school here think go it looks good life is messy but if you're going to love other people you have to be willing to step into their mess my whole life I've wanted to avoid that that's why I rolled the window up and didn't look give us some distance and that's why she now rolls it down to let the blessings blow in ginger sprous joins us now hello Ginger good morning how's Victor doing he is working a full-time job he has is he still working with you or he's got a different job he has his own job it's he said it's too much like working for his mother okay he has an apartment he has a roommate he so he moved out they moved out on their own he didn't he didn't want to do me was the roommate living with you too briefly briefly so you've helped other homeless people in in different iterations we don't I don't have everyone move in with me but still does This Ginger recognize that old Ginger that was rolling up the car window you know once you've helped one person I don't think that I could ever go back the other way because you realize there could be somebody incred on the other side of the window that you wouldn't have met otherwise that's great thank you so much for talking with us today it was good to talk to you guys you know earlier EMT defined Humanity as the moral thread that binds all people together and when we break that thread start dividing people into Saints and Sinners winners and losers or worst of all us and them we are quite literally not living up to our name human being we'll see you next time until then stay kind good morning I'm here with my daughter and sidekick Merill hello everyone and Welcome to our lesson on vision and for a definition we go now to my son EMT over at the dictionary desk good morning so for the purposes of this lesson I'm defining Vision as the power to see into the future oo sounds magical almost like having your own personal crystal ball that's so cool do that with vision you're able to look past whatever problems you have in front of you today to the person that you can become a vision of your future and who better to teach us about Vision than a person who is blind in this story pulled from our archive we see how getting through even your darkest hour is possible with good Vision I chose to tell this story mainly for an audience of one yes this 12-year-old named Ted yes Ted is my nephew and he says sometimes his blindness feels insurmountable I see I thought like I was doomed that that does sound a little immature but a wo was me kind of feeling yes I really want to be like everybody else sometimes you know and that's why when I heard about this drag racer attempting to set a new world speed record I thought Ted and others like him had to meet the driver in 2012 Dan Parker of Columbus Georgia got in a crash he suffered a traumatic brain injury so severe it blinded him I never imagine I'd be back in the seat of a race car but I've been a racer my whole life I just had to figure out another way to do it a machinist by trade Dan got adaptive equipment so he could make Parts 2.9 and then designed this entire race car that just amazes me what does he look like mustache and a beard I have a mustache you have a mustache see whiskers I hope nobody sees them oh don't worry about it that won't be an issue anyway back to our story Dan was attempting to set the Guinness record for fastest car driven blindfolded of course no blindfold was needed but he did have a special audio guidance system and for safety purposes a sighted driver next to him hands hovering over the steering wheel just in case it wasn't necessary Dan went 21 M an hour set a record and more importantly an example Ted I want you know that blindness is not what is stopping you surround yourself with Believers and go for your dreams you can make excuses or make it happen new Guinness World Record title Dan says inspiring the heads of the world is the main reason he did this and if my nephew is any indication it was well worth the drive if you can do that well then I think I could easily pursue my dream wait what about flying plane that's exactly what I wanted to come from this joining us now my nephew Ted welcome to kindness 10 W it's great to be here how's your facial hair coming Ted it's great I mean it's look like you shaved I I did shave I should also mention that after that story first aired you got an offer yes I got an invitation by a pilot he was very generous you ready to go I'm ready okay pull back what was that like this is so fun it was amazing we're flying it's like driving a car well wait have you driven a car before when I was younger I I did go down your driveway on a this is news to me well I I had my mom's help but you know okay so how have these examples and experiences changed your thinking like it's opened the door and shown me everything that's possible in this world what do you feel like you can't do now uh what I can't do is be um pessimistic Ted thanks so much for joining us of course it's been a great pleasure great pleasure you know people always say to live in the moment and that's great when things are going well but when times are tough it's just as important not to dwell to look past the present using not your eyes but your vision we'll see you next time until then stay kind good morning this is my daughter Merill hello everyone today we're talking about motivation but before we do let's start with the definition for my brother em at the dictionary desk good morning motivation is what power people to achieve a goal it's basically the reason we're able to accomplish what we accomplish right motivation is the driving force behind our actions I mean without motivation we'd just be sitting here right now staring at each other so what's our motivation for doing this well you'd get fired it'd be kind of embarrassing and people would change the channel get fired people change I think we're motivated to help people by doing kindness 101 yes to motivate others is probably the best motivation of all and today's story is the perfect example of that it's about a boy who found purpose and passion thanks to a few Choice words of motivation he was only in third grade but Henry Boer already knew what he wanted to be a passion he discovered after attending a University of Michigan football game they were that good my mind was blown of how good they played but it wasn't the football that he fell for it was the marching band and from that moment to this Henry has been rocking out to their CD Let's Go Blue and watching old halftime shows on YouTube he even wrote a letter to the band saying how he'd love to sign up someday in response they sent him a bunch of Swag and a card inviting him to audition when he's old enough I just really like the card what were you feeling in that moment surprised and heartwarming his mother got it on video what did they say they said they going to accept me in a few years into what into the marching band are you excited yes I'm really excited that was nice of them huh after that Henry asked his mom if he could double up on piano lessons and started taking drums too well like the card said practice hard and I will practice hard so you can get there someday yes I just have a really good feeling that I'm going to be in the marching band if all goes as planned Henry will join the band in the fall of 2029 but we thought and the school agreed that's an awfully long time to wait for a dream to come true so we set up a little surprise right behind this door no way Henry this is your Michigan marching van no way [Applause] we're so excited to have you here with us Henry I can't believe I'm here the Michigan marching band wrote out a single note and just look at the symphony that followed you got it a masterpiece of motivation that struck a major chord in this young man's life so now hopefully no matter where his music takes him Henry will always follow the lead of this marching band and play it forward nice job you guys have the best music ever I can't wait to join oh yeah it'll come soon Henry Boer joins us now hello Henry hello what was it about the card that you found so motivating having the entire band believe in me it was just this crazy feeling of joy and the band had you back again I was able to lead them to the stadium the big house they brought me to the field I was able to go onto the field and I imagine that that motivated you even more oh it 100% did yeah what if Ohio State offered you a spot in their band I'm not gonna say yes that's pretty that's what I figured okay Henry thank you so much for joining us I really appreciate it thank you for having me I'm so glad we didn't just sit here for five minutes staring at each other I am too and hopefully we motivated you to inspire the Henry's in your life we'll see you next time and don't forget to stay kind good morning class this is Merill my daughter and co- teer for our lesson on generosity and as always we'll begin with my brother Emma at the dictionary desk good morning Merl generosity is the willingness to help someone and I would add more than what is typical or expected yeah that last part is key I have a whole bag of Smarties here is this generous no not at all how about this is that generous yes that's very generous what if I owned a whole smarty Factory would that be generous I would be disappointed if you owned a smarty Factory and this is the best you can do I'm sorry here's how I think you can tell if you're generous if you have a cookie and you cut it in half and you're going to share with a friend you know how one half is always a little bit bigger than the other half yeah which half do you give away uh I would give away the smaller half okay it's good that you're in on this class giving more than is expected is hard fortunately I can help with that by turning to our library for a story to hopefully inspire all of us to be a little more generous to 11-year-old Jude Kofi of Aurora Colorado this surprise was music to his eyes obviously whoever said the best things come in small packages was never gifted a grand piano Jude's father Isaiah so one day it just shows up at the house yes all for free who does that the answer in a moment but first the reason a couple years ago Jude's dad heard a noise coming from the basement there was an old keyboard down there but no one knew how to play it certainly not his autistic son Jude or so he thought Isaiah then got Jude a larger keyboard to see what more he could do and boy could he do the kid never had a lesson no one taught him any of this how do you explain that you're as good as you are it's a miracle you think it's a miracle that's what I prefer Bill Magnuson prefers that too is he special he Beyond special he moart level is coming from somewhere beyond bill is a piano tuner he saw a local news story about Jude heard him play learned how his parents immigrated from Ghana how they're raising Fortune children and sending money back to Ghana what resources are left over to help this special little soul yours yeah using an inheritance from his father Bill bought the piano spent $115,000 he has promised to tune it once a month for the rest of his life very nice and he's even paying for Jude to get profess professional lessons we're family now somebody to just love your son like that by making sure that his future is secured we are super thankful yeah press the pedal caring for other children as your own the ultimate Act of generosity the beneficiaries of Bill's boundless generosity join us now hello Isaiah hello Jude hello is Bill still in your life oh yes he's always checking on us we call him they call us he's so much in our lives and uh we love that what do you think motivates someone like Bill to be so generous I think it's the sheer goodness of how he wants everybody to feel has all of this inspired you to be more generous oh yes of course going to the hospitals playing for families and kids so that we can use his gift and talents and all that to help people I love you thank you so much for joining us and I'm so glad you're doing so well thanks so much you are so welcome bye we saw there what Joy generosity can bring and you don't need to buy someone a grand piano in fact all you need to do to get started is next time when you cut that cookie in half to share with a friend give them the bigger piece and see if maybe just maybe the smaller piece might taste just a little bit sweeter we'll see you next time and don't forget to stay kind good morning this is Merill my daughter and master sign maker and today we're talking about thankfulness for a definition we toss it over to someone I'm mostly thankful for my brother em it right back at you Marl so thankfulness is a warm or friendly feeling that you get in response to another person's actions right thankfulness is not that reflex response like when somebody passes you the ketchup and you say thanks and it's not like when I ask EMT to empty the dishwasher and he says I'll get to it thanks that's called sarcasm that's right yeah I do not like doing the dishwasher in case you could tell yeah we're talking about thankfulness we're talking about the power of a sincere thank you often out of the blue to make someone feel loved and appreciated and of course I have an example a story pulled from our library of life lessons filed under thankfulness inside the Vitalia senior residences in Strongsville Ohio 95-year-old Frank grassberger sits on a treasure in fact Frank says other than his wife Dolores almost nothing matters more to him than this note i' never be without it why did it matter so much that you have it with you all the time because it's something that somebody thought of me that much when he has that letter with him he has a feeling of faith and trust and love to understand how a letter can do all that you first need to know that Frank is a World War 2 veteran and back in 2009 a third grader wrote to thank him for his service if if it wasn't for you we would never have freedom I'm so happy you made sacrifices your friend desana priest to Frank that simple thank you came to symbolize a life well served I'm tickled at that that I have a letter like this he wanted to thank the author we never could find her he says before I close my eyes I I I have to find her I have to find her just about everyone who works here was well aware of Frank's attachment to that letter and his decad long desire to find the little girl who wrote it so the staff did some sleuthing and lo and behold hey meet Desa she vividly remembers writing the letter as a school assignment because she so admired people in uniform just like wow like I get to write to a veteran yeah so it was like an honor yeah an honor that continued so here she is when Des surprised Frank H in her national guard uniform honest to God oh I love you so much you can't imagine the feeling I had when she stood next to me it just took my breath away it really did I thought where's his heart pills because I thought oh this is it this is the big one this is a God sent fortunately Frank's heart only swelled and may never return to its original size so this is the beginning of something yeah um friendship family not friendship there's love there deep down in the heart she like my third daughter she really is it started with a lot of love and affection and it's ending the same way who knew a simple thank you could make a life complete Frank and Dolores grassberger join us now welcome hello to you and welcome this Thursday is Thanksgiving what are you going to be thankful for on Thursday what am I going to I'm thankful every day it would take hours and hours and hours that's how much thankfulness I am did you get other thank you letters after that story ER you can't believe what sent me wow whoa I guess so that's a sample he's got other ones too are you still in touch with desana oh yes you know she comes and visits and has coffee and eats and that goes back old that's great Frank are you going to be buried with that letter are you going to be he's going to be created oh okay well thank you so much for joining us really appreciate it yeah thank you for your service Frank thank you for thanking me byebye you know we write thank you notes in this house but it's usually because somebody has given us something right yep but what I take from this lesson is that if you write a thank you note to someone out of the blue for who they are and not the gift they've given you it can make all the difference we'll see you next time until then stay kind good morning I'm here with my daughter and co-teacher Merl for a lesson on stick to itiveness EMT I assume this means to stick to it well kind of but the actual definition is deeper it's the quality of staying committed to a certain task or goal over a long period of time time especially when progress is slow and when you feel like quitting question does this Post-it Note have stiiven doesn't appear to it actually does well it doesn't matter if the Post-it note fails as long as it keeps coming back and trying it technically has stick tutiven that's right stick tutiven doesn't guarantee results but sometimes miracles happen and of course I have a great example a story pulled from our archive about what's possible when you really stick to it lady night the climax Fisher High School lady Knights had been on a streak booting and bobbling their way into the record books this team from Western Minnesota somehow strung together 84 straight losses that's four straight years of ridicule people always like make fun of you it's honestly embarrassing we lost a game 90 to3 but those kids played like it's 5 five Jonathan vonish is their coach they're going to be in there Jonathan says a few girls have quit but the ones that remain are more determined than ever to turn this team around see if they can make an outside shot which is why it was so heartening to see what happened in this game against Bagley High School when the climax Fisher lady nights in white got off to one of their best starts in recent memory at halftime they were actually leading by a point and the crowd was getting into it which made it even better really in the zone and then things went really wrong really wrong yeah unfortunately in the second half they got in major foul trouble oh my God one by one their seniors fouled out of the game all of them before it was over the Juniors would be gone too in fact for the last three minutes they only had three girls left two sophomores and a freshman the most inexperienced players on the losingest team in the state are you telling them we can win this well you know you didn't want to lie to him I don't think I use that term I said you know but I you continue working to the end and that's really all their coach was expecting a valiant effort can't win three on five in fact they didn't score once for from the field but they did play Stellar defense and when they did get the ball they were able to draw some fouls and when they did draw those fouls they made those free throws enough of them that when the buzzer sounded the lady Knights of climax fiser were on a new streak we were all hugging and crying and screaming our heads off it's probably the best moment of my life no matter what what people say like about you if you keep putting in time and effort it will pay off joining us now Adriana Rooney she was a player on the team and is now coach of the lady nights welcome to kindness 101 thank you for having me how's the team doing they like eight and 15 or something like that eight and 15 is amazing yeah it's coming together do you show the new players set story um well actually the girls like they watch it probably way too many times and why do you think they like watching it you have a clip in there of me blowing my nose so they like to you know teas that's not the answer I was hoping for but go on so they tease you about it more than anything yeah do you want them to get something from this when they watch the video yeah absolutely I mean everything's not about winning uh how has that whole experience affected your life out outside of basketball I wouldn't be the person I am if I would have been on the team that I was on I mean you know you don't give up and you continue to do it even if it's hard we've said before in these classes that failure is the key to success yeah unfortunately thank you so much for talking to us thank you I appreciate it you know no one likes losing but it builds character are more than winning ever will if you maintain your stick tutiven do that and maybe one day you'll get your Miracle we'll see you next time until then stay kind

Channel: CBS Mornings

Views: 1,129,217

Keywords: kindness 101, kindness 101 steve hartman, kindness 101 steve hartman playlist, kindness 101 gratitude, kindness 101 friendship, kindness 101 empathy, kindness 101 respect, kindness 101 inclusion, kindness 101 character, steve hartman

Id: d1A58bZXaBM

Length: 151min 29sec (9089 seconds)

Published: Sat Dec 23 2023