[April 11, 2023 – Blog] Sometimes life throws lovely surprises our way when we least expect it. Recently, I was going through a pile of mail and discovered a large package from a kindergarten class in a small town near Beaumont, Texas.
The class was exploring Texas artists and had chosen my paintings to study. Their teacher said the whole class wanted me to know that “We think you are a great artist!” One young boy said, “I like your paintings and I like all the colors of the sky.” Other children asked questions: “How do you paint so good?” “Do you paint all by yourself?” “I have a dog named Daisy, do you have a dog?”
They also included a photo of themselves holding up their own interpretations of a cowboy and a Texas sky (pictured here) with my paintings on the wall behind them. I covered their precious faces with stars to protect their innocence, but they are certainly “All-Stars” in my book.
Out of the mouth of babes came a wonderful critique, and I am humbled and honored by their recognition.
As I read through their letters, a book penned by Robert Fulghum came to mind entitled: “All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten.” It is still worth a read, and these children reminded me of some of the takeaways from his book that we should all keep in mind today:
—Share
—Be kind to one another
—Clean up after yourself
—Live a balanced life of work, play and learning.
I once told an audience, “I am not nice, but I try to be kind.” These children are indeed learning that acts of kindness enrich the world.
Kindly,
Gay Gaddis
Founder. Author. Artist. Trailblazer.
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