I just had one of the most breathtaking experiences since I started my blog. When I got home from school today a big yellow envelope was waiting for me. It was from a school in New York that I spoke at a few weeks ago. I was the opening keynote speaker for their school’s annual Power of One day and I shared my thoughts and experiences about how we call make a difference in our communities and in the world.
I believe more than anything that we can all do something to make a difference – I talk about in this in my presentation. I give examples of all kinds of things that we can do that include raising awareness about an issue that you care about, donating your time to someone who needs some help and using your talents and skills to take action. I talk about a lot of things that you can do to create change that don’t cost money – just time and thoughtfulness.
One of the things that I talk about is how far kindness and compliments can go. When I give suggestions about acts of kindness, one of my top recommendations is always to make a handwritten thank you card for someone that has helped in some way – a teacher, a coach a friend. Today I am overwhelmed and on the receiving end of this type of outreach.
Back to that envelope.
It was filled with personal letters written by the students who were at the assembly where I presented by keynote. They expressed their gratitude and told me what they learned and what impacted them. They said that they now recognize that one person has the power to make a difference and also that they are not too young to make a difference, no matter how small our actions might seem.
I sat on the floor with my Mom and read each one out loud to her. After I read the first few, it brought me to tears. These letters were so personal and thoughtful. It means so much that they took the time to write letters and make these beautiful cards for me. I was so amazed to hear about the actions that they took that were inspired by our time together. It means the world to me to know that I made a difference that day.
In my speech i say that when people do little things for me, it makes a big difference for me and I try to pass that on.
To the wonderful community at H.C. Crittenden Middle School, you made a big difference for me. Thank you so much and I promise you, I will pass that on.
Love,
Hannah
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