I met my best friend, Cecelia, when we were three. She’s always been there for me, whether it was for a Taekwondo test or a school event. We’ve done everything together over the years. This is what I told her on Tuesday, March 30th, 2010, as I handed her a blue ribbon. My mother had driven me over to her house so that I could give her a ribbon. When I took the little paper off the ribbon to put it on Cecelia, she was speechless. She had never really been recognized for being a good person, and I think that’s what made her special. Most awards these days are for sports or academic events. I think the blue ribbon award is very special because it tells people that they’re special as a human being. When I gave Cecelia this award, I felt like I should give every deserving person this blue ribbon because of the satisfaction that follows, both to the giver and receiver. If everyone took the time to tell people that they made a difference, I think that kids would believe in themselves and they would feel that they are special. Also, it’s something that people don’t forget for a long time. The blue ribbon is something to remember.

When everyone in class took the time to compliment one another, it made everyone see the qualities in themselves that others saw in them. Towards the end of the time when we passed around the papers with compliments for people, I saw that I wasn’t the only classmate that noticed Joy’s smile and I wasn’t alone when Reagan made me laugh. When I got my paper back, I had this good feeling that I usually don’t get when I receive compliments. I think that good feeling came from the fact that everyone was giving them, too. If the whole entire world sent good thoughts and feelings to other people every day, I think that the world could be a significantly better place. Wars would be less because people could disagree without fighting. This week, I learned that I like to tell people how special they are. I like to think about people and the qualities that make them special. If we all focused on people’s good qualities and if we all were optimistic, the world just might be a better place.

-Courtney, Coronado Island, CA 2010