Superintendent of Collier County Schools, Kamela Patton, Ph.D. sent me the most wonderful letter this past February. Since I receive my mail so infrequently, it just came to my attention.
It was a letter thanking me for visiting some of the schools in her charge, earlier in the winter. It was a wonderful opportunity I hope will be extended this upcoming winter.
The other part of the letter was congratulatory in nature. The Collier County Commissioners have created a Kindness Awareness day which will be held this upcoming winter throughout the county. Thank you to Laura and Greg Pacter for seeing the importance and beauty of having an annual event such as this in their community.

I saw this homemade stick figure appliqué on the rear window of a car in Manhattan last summer. The great divide of a family can take on many dynamics. The biggest of all the lessons is the teaching moment to the children.
The “mom got the cat and I got the kid” drawing is hard enough to look at, let alone drawing big red X’s for the child to witness adds another level of challenge.
Riding for an awareness of issues that kids are having to deal with at far too young an age has been a conversation starter of all types, enabling me to help in challenges individuals are having.
My hope from this drawing is that the child is being told by the parents that both parents love her.

At times, a sign or a banner says it as good as can be said. This is one of those times.

Seeing the shirt worn by the high school student recently, reminded me that it has been nearly 4 years since I talked at Project Love’s, Kickoff for Kindness event. This organization, with an incredible track record, continues to inspire kids to be kind across northeast Ohio and beyond.
The following is information directly from their website, www.projectlove.org
In 1994, Cleveland insurance executive Stuart Muszynski and his wife Susan, a clinical psychologist, saw the link between violence in the media, acts of teenage meanness, and violent acts in high schools and our society and decided to do something about it. Knowing teens can grasp abstract concepts that may impact them for decades, the Muszynskis created a program to build character and life skills for that group. Based on cognitive psychology, experiential seminars that have changed adults’ behavior, and medical data about the power of visualization and love, the couple created a multi-media, day-long seminar using lessons from history and current events.                                  The seminar was designed to help students understand the difference between being perpetrators, victims, bystanders or rescuers. The goal was to create a group of students who would choose to be rescuers and had been trained in the leadership skills needed to promote kindness and caring in their schools, families, workplaces and communities.

Riding my miles in Sonoma, I couldn’t ask for any better views, from rolling hills to vineyards just mere miles from this very friendly town. One of my other favorite sights is mere blocks from the downtown plaza. Cafe Scooteria is one of those places which blends a mix of coffee and scooters.
Owner, Nick and his staff of baristas make everyone feel as if they have been lifelong customers. Nick came through big time
Thank you to Paula from, Copy Store and More for the donation of fliers to pass out in Sonoma.

The following is a portion of an email that will be sent to schools across the country:
One Million Acts of Kindness was founded in 2007 to help create a mindset of kindness in individual’s lives. Bob Votruba and his Boston terrier, Bogart, travel the country promoting kindness as a lifetime, personal goal for every individual. It is a core value that we could all certainly use much more of. Kindness is a win-win situation for both the giver and receiver. Scientific studies show that by being kind, an individual is happier, healthier and lives longer. Something as simple as doing kind acts can have profound effects on everyone.
We are now promoting this wonderful goal to schools across the nation.
Schools of any size can perform One Million Acts Of Kindness during the course of the 9 month school year. It helps students respect one another and is a deterrent to bullying. This is a wonderful way for a school community to come together for the common good.

I don’t think The Kindness Bus Tour has seen an all day rain since late February. Even when it has rained, which has been almost never, I always have managed to ride miles during the dry part of the day. Today was an all day soaker, allowing me to rest my legs. We did have a late evening dry spell, but I had made up my mind to take the day off from riding.
Being back in Sonoma for a few days allows me to connect with many of the same locals I have met previously and the thousands of tourists from across the country. It is the best of both worlds.