You Are Special Rita Li

The Wemmicks were small wooden people. Every Wemmick was different: some had large noses, others had big eyes. They were all made by the wood carver, Eli whose wood shop was at the top of the hill.

Every day, Wemmicks did the same thing: they gave each other stickers. Each Wemmick had a box of golden star stickers and gray dot stickers.

The pretty ones with smooth wood and fine paint, always got stars. But if wood was rough or the paint chipped, the Wemmicks gave dots.

Punchinello was one of these. He tried to jump high, but he always fell. Every time when he explained why he fell, he said something silly, so people gave him more gray dots.

After a while he got so many dots and people said he was not a good wooden person. He felt really sad. Right now he just wanted to hung out with people who had lots of dots.

One day he met a Wemmick, her name was Lucia and she didn’t have any stars or dots on her body. Punchinello asked her how she did it.

Lucia replied, “ It’s easy because I go see Eli everyday.” “Eli ?” Punchinello asked. “ Why don’t you find out for yourself? Go up the hill, he’s there.” said Lucia.

“ Would Eli Like to see me? Maybe I have the dots, so he won’t let me go into his workshop.” He thought. “ No, that’s not right. People shouldn’t give marks to each other.” He decided to visit Eli next day.

Next day he went to Eli’s workshop. Everything there was so big even a hammer was as long as his body. He was afraid that he wanted to run away. Suddenly he heard a strong and nice voice called his name “ Punchinello. Come here, let me take a look at you. I am so happy you come see me.”

Eli put Punchinello on the bench. “ You know my name?” he asked. “ Of course because I made you. Looks like you’ve been given some bad marks.” Eli said. “ I didn’t mean to, Eli, I tried so hard.” “ Oh child, you don’t need to defend yourself to me. “

“ I don’t care what the other people think.” “ You don’t?” “ No, and you shouldn’t either. Punchinello, what they think doesn’t matter, all that matter is what I think, I think you’re special.” “ Me, special? Why? I can’t jump, sing and I look ugly.”

“ Because you’re created by me and I care about what happens to you.” Punchinello didn’t know what to say. “Everyday I’ve been hoping you’d come.” “I came because I met Lucia, she has no marks on her.”

“Because she decided what I think is more important than what they think. The sticker only stick if you let them.” “ What? I am not sure I understand.” “ You will, but it will take time. For now just come to see me everyday, let me remind you how much I care.”

Eli put Punchinello down on the floor. Eli said as Punchinello walked out the door. “ You are special because I made you and I never make mistakes. Punchinello didn’t stop, he thought Eli’s right. And when he did, a dot fell onto the ground.

Think and Do More ( 1)Can we give people stickers if they are not doing things well? (2) If you were Punchinello, how would you feel? (3)Why can’t the stickers stay on Lucia’s body ？ (4)Why Punchinello’s dots fell onto the ground ？ (5)Why would Eli help Punchinello? Who is Eli ?

You’re Special Because You Are You

The Rose Some say love, it is a river that drowns the tender reed Some say love, it is a razor that leaves your soul to bleed Some say love, it is a hunger an endless aching need I say love is a flower And you, it's only seed It's the heart afraid of breaking that never learns to dance It's the dream afraid of waking that never takes the chance

It's the one who won't be taken who can not seem to give And the soul afraid of dying that never learns to live When the night has been too lonely And the road has been too long And you think that love is only for the lucky and the strong Just remember in the winter Far beneath the bitter snow lies the seed That with the sun's love in the spring becomes the rose

The Rose