| Previous | Next | Patter Index | Home Page |
|
BETTER BEGINNINGS
PENNY PATTER |
April 30, 2003
|
April, you may remember, is the month of the Young Child. Fittingly, we devote
one week in which we encourage children to form their Milagros. Helping young
children identify their special talents and equipping them with the ability to
achieve their dreams is an important objective. Here are a few dreams
expressed by our Heart Friends, the After-Kindergarten group, through their
drawings and paintings:
Tyler: "I want to play baseball and hit home runs." Paulina: "I want to be a doctor to help people." Bianca: "I want to be a teacher". Emilia: "I want to be a doctor and help people." Malki: "I want to play basketball and make a shot." |
(Punny Penny jumps in and notes that while Malki wants to make shots,
Emilia wants to give shots!) Jordan: "I want to be a doctor and help people feel better." Anonymous: "I want to be a soccer player." Bytasia: "I want to be a singer." Shontel: "I want to be a ambulance helper." Santiago: "I want to be a policeman to catch bad people." Jaime: "I want to be a policeman and help people," Nicole: (referring to her drawing of her grown-up self) "I am a doctor." |
| I am impressed, as their teachers knew I would be, by the prevailing inclination for the helping professions. I also note that many have athletic aspirations as well. I know these children, and I am assured that if we scratched a little deeper that we would find that they, too, would use their athletic and musical prowess to find means of sharing and caring for others. I remember one student telling me, "If I get rich, I will have lots of money to help other people." I am comfortable with the idea of turning our | world over to these guys when they are grown.
My grandmother whispers in my ear, "Practice makes perfect." I hope and trust we will continue to give these generous, ambitious children bountiful opportunities to apply and observe loving kindness, improve motor skills, practice creative inclinations, as well as ample instruction in the cognitive and other developmental domains. |
| What about you? Have you decided yet what you want to do when you grow up? If you are not in one of the several "helping" professions, I will give odds that you find ways in which to help others. | My wish for you, for all of our children, for all of our family members, is simple: that you find as much joy and fulfillment in your work and/or activities as I have found in mine. I could not wish more or better for anyone.." |
| The 11th Annual Mayors' Shining Star Gala,
which benefits Better Beginnings, was moved to April this year. As East
Windsor Mayor Janice Mironov noted, this was appropriate since it is the
month of the Young Child, and she turned around and gave Better
Beginnings an award. What a surprise. We are, of course, very grateful
to her and to Hightstown Mayor Bob Patten for sponsoring and making the
gala a great success. Indeed, many contributed, including our generous
sponsors, advertisers, and donors, all brought together with the
energetic determination and astonishing expertise of the Event
Chairperson, Kerrie Peterson-Bussone, and the
Committee. The room at the Ramada shone with the splendorous decorations and glowed with the strong current of joyful, warm kindheartedness among those present. I was purely star struck. How wonderful to have so many people gathered who care so much for the welfare of others. The event was dedicated to the memory of Spc. Marc Seiden, a fallen hero, killed in Iraq on January 2, and to Dr. Jerome Bodin, the Shining Star recipient in 1996. Our lives are richer for having had these community heroes who devoted their lives to protecting and helping others Individual Shining Star awards were presented to Binnie Thom, a retired tacher, and long time member of the Board of Directors of Better Beginnings, as well as to Dr. Suzanne Harkness, who is retiring this year from the East Windsor Regional School District after almost 30 years of service to the district and to the community. The Latina Women's Council was presented with the Community organization award and The Brace Place was presented the Business/Industry award. All were praised for the many ways in which |
they contribute to the community and
"make a difference" in the lives and well being of others.
I gathered up enough impressions to fill a hundred columns, so I will just share a few at a time. The dogged hard work and talent involved in putting such a splendid event together was apparent from Day one of the planning. Side note: Kerrie is so inspirational in her exuberant good will that even the staff at the Ramada held a pre-gala fundraiser and contributed the proceeds to the center. A new church group that is meeting at the Ramada, the Heritage Christian Center, were inspired, after talking to Kerrie, to stop by to make a very generous contribution of $500 to Better Beginnings. They are very new to the community and this was a symbol of their intention to help provide for meeting needs of the community. The Platinum sponsors of the event were Mrs. Jackie Bodin, First Washington State Bank, and Romano's Macaroni Grill. The Gold sponsors were Shiseido, Americana Diner, Comcast, and Customized Benefit Solutions, Inc. Mercer Title Services Agency, Inc. was a Silver sponsor, and the First Presbyterian Church of Hightstown provided Exceptional support. For everyone who participated, attended, sponsored, advertised, contributed, donated items for the auctions, helped with planning, setting up, record keeping, and otherwise made our gala a success, on behalf of the children and families of Better Beginnings, a world of thanks. Very popular items in the Chinese Auction and Silent Auction was the "Visit to Grandmother's House" basket containing two afghans hand crocheted by Clara Martino; the "Welcome Home Baby" basket from "Friends of Better Beginnings", and "The Baby Basket" donated by "Good Friends at Peddie School. Why? I'll have to tell you next time. |
| Ideas, suggestions? Please write to me at bewith@mail2peace.com; or PO Box 187, Hightstown NJ 08520. Remember you can visit our Web | site at: www.princetonol.com/groups/bbcdc. You can also call Better Beginnings at (609) 448-6226. |