Years ago it was like I dipped myself in a pool of postive emotions and wanted to spread that to everyone, everywhere and everything.  The first few years I was a teacher I spent time and money to give a little birthday gift to all the teachers and even when they said why? I still gave gifts. I only stopped because I bought a condo and lacked the funds.

One year I wanted to learn how to be a Southern cook so I learned to make gumbo,  I was going to take to my brothers the next day as a birthday gift.  While I was making it my mom called and begged that I would come and sync her iPod for the trip, I left what could have been a ruined gumbo drove almost an hour back and forth to find she had already figured it out.  When I gave the gumbo to my brother the biggest compliment he ever gave me it has a different flavor but I like it.

This is who I am and strive to be someone who looks for ways to see  people are smiling with joy.  That is a goal I renew on my birthday which is today.

-Jennie Nawrocki