It’s true, everything I really need to know I learned in Kindergarten.

Jan’s mom sent me this book to me as a gift. Thank you, Renata!

Although, I’ve read the lessons of many times through the years I’ve never had the pleasure of reading the whole book ~ now I can read it all and re-read the lessons that are fantastic and bear repeating….

Share everything.
Play fair.
Don’t hit people.
Put things back where you found them.
Clean up your own mess.
Don’t take things that aren’t yours.
Say you’re sorry when you hurt somebody.
Wash your hands before you eat.
Flush.
Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you.
Live a balanced life – learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work every day some.
Take a nap every afternoon.
When you go out in the world, watch out for traffic, hold hands and stick together.
Be aware of wonder. Remember the little seed in the Styrofoam cup: The roots go down and the plant goes up and nobody really knows how or why, but we are all like that.
Goldfish and hamsters and white mice and even the little seed in the Styrofoam cup – they all die. So do we.
And then remember the Dick and Jane books and the first word you learned – the biggest word of all – LOOK.

Everything we need to know is really in there somewhere. My favorite “rule” is…”When you go out in the world, watch out for traffic, hold hands and stick together.”

This one rule reminds me of our past weekend in New York City. While Claire, Stan and I stayed at Claire’s dance competition the boys ~ Jan, Zach and Lucas were off on their own adventure in the great big city. My only rule for them was to stick together! I didn’t have them hold hands but I did tell them to watch out for traffic. Their adventures together forged a stronger bond between them as they stuck together. Think how much better our lives would be if we followed Robert Fulghum’s words of wisdom?

I am looking forward to the pleasure of reading the whole book over and over again. I will keep it on my bedside table to remind me of one fabulous family from the Czech Republic.

I will be sure to pass on the words of wisdom gleaned from my trip back to kindergarten ~ for the love of my children…