Tag Archives: gift

greenhorn.

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one of my favorite teacher gifts ever

a big, colorful, ceramic unicorn

chosen and painted by a student

body painted green, my favorite color

eyes painted yellow, her favorite color

accents painted black, because they look cool

and a unicorn

because it was a gift straight from the heart.

p.s. i named it ‘greenhorn’ because it looks like it has magical powers

 

“be a unicorn in a field full of horses.”

-author unknown

magic spell.

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 “expecto petronum”

“dear miss kennedy, i know this spell. if you do that magic it just keeps you safe from stuff if you are in danger.”

– from my student, l.

one of kindest and most wonderful gifts i’ve ever received 

“kindness is a magical spell –

performed by enlightened beings –

meant to enchant hearts and lift weary souls that they might fly.”

-richelle e. goodrich

a gift.

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when someone in our class

got injured while playing outside

the kinder quickly sprang into action

creating art and cards for their friend

23 pieces of art from 14 children

given to her to know she was cared about

 a quiet smile was her gift back to them. 

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“making art is like giving a gift: evidence of your spirit and that you are here.”

– paddy mitchell

gift.

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 Harper Lee — the famously private author, might never have written the classic “To Kill A Mockingbird” if it hadn’t been for a 1950s Christmas gift. 

Back in 1956, Lee was a ticket agent for British Overseas Airways Corporation. Like most struggling writers, she was having trouble balancing her job and finding time to write. She told this to her New York City friends, Michael and Joy Brown (who were also friends of Truman Capote).

Michael was a successful “industrial musical writer” whom American corporations hired to create performances to inspire their workers. His clients ranged from DuPont to JC Penney, and he was raking in the money for songs like “The Wonderful World of Chemistry.”

So in 1956, the Browns’ gave Lee the best Christmas present of all: An entire year’s salary so she could take time to write whatever she wanted. “There was an envelope on the tree, addressed to me. I opened it and read: ‘You have one year off from your job to write whatever you please. Merry Christmas,'” she wrote in McCall’s Magazine in 1961. “ They assured me that it was not some sort of joke. They’d had a good year, they said. They’d saved some money and thought it was high time they did something about me.”

Lee took that time to write “To Kill A Mockingbird,” which sold over 40 million copies worldwide, has been translated into over 40 languages,  served as the basis for a hugely popular film, and for which she won a Pulitzer Prize.

“when life gives you a gift, receive it with all your heart.”

-enid ivanov

 

 

 

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credits: Megan Willett-Wei, Insider

a different kind.

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this tiny dog

has lived a full life

gifted to me by my dear friend

having once

belonged to

her husband’s mother/grandmother

i would love to know its story

it has seen the world and is beautifully imperfect.

 

“art is something that makes you breathe with a different kind of happiness.”

~ Anni Albers

worth more.

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try as he might

my colleague was not able to convince anyone

to steal from him

or trade with him

 for this monstrosity of a white elephant gift 

that he randomly chose

at our faculty holiday party

it was as huge as a shield, very heavy, and not the most beautiful

(even said on the back that it was microwaveable,

but would not come anywhere near fitting

into any microwave i’ve ever seen,

and was edged in metal)

but we did laugh about it the entire time

and that is certainly worth something. 

‘the manner of giving is worth more than the gift.’      

-pierre corneille