my sculpture class

Always assume the best in others.  I know some people see me as pollyanna...too much focus on the positive, not enough on "reality" but   my life is better because I focus on the good in people.  As a teacher, when I focus on the good in my students I get much more good from them.  As a person, I have always been inspired by the people who saw the best in me.  I never wanted to let them down by being less than they believed I was. 

My daily life is better when I look for the good in people; when I assume that someone who is rude is having a bad day and can respond in kindness.  This doesn't mean being foolish or being unsafe, It just means recognizing the humanity is others. It means treating others with respect and kindness no matter what they look like or who they are.

Often people assume that I look at people this way because I have never seen bad  people, that I have been sheltered, that I have never had anything bad happen to me in my life.  Without sharing details, I can tell you with certainty that this is not true.  People who know me well know that I have lived and grown through a great deal of personal and family pain. I taught students with severe social/emotional disorders and I even worked in a psychiatric hospital for four years.

Assuming the  is how I choose to live.  It is one thing that makes my life joyful and beautiful, and that's the kind of life I choose.