Dear, Stacey Bess;

When I was at primary school, this couple would visit every few months and talk about God, the bible, and various other religious stuff. I'm sure they were called Jackie and John. Even then, at such a naive, impressionable age, I'm not sure I believed in God, but I listened. And during one of those visits, Jackie told us a story about two people who visited a church. On the way out they passed a small donations box, and both stopped to make a donation. The first man, a well dressed and wealthy man dug into his pocket and dropped a whole load of coins into the box before walking away. The second man, not as well dressed and without much money stopped and dug into his pocket before pulling out just one coin. His last coin. He dropped it into the box before he too walked away. Jackie turned to us all and asked a simple question,

'Who gave more? The first man, or the second man?'

Of course, we all were positive at that young age that the more you physically gave meant you gave more, but we were all wrong. You see, it was the man that gave his last coin that gave the most. The richer man gave because he could, he still had loads more money, therefore it didn't mean so much as the man who gave up his last coin selflessly. 

 

I've just finished watching the film Beyond the Blackboard, and it truly inspired, and touched me that one person could make such an impact on a group of not only children, but adults lives. To give so much, and ask for nothing back, it something that not a lot of people do today. We work to survive, and I'm sure that not many people can put their hand up and admit that their job, what they do for the majority of their being, is what they love. Or that what they do is for the benefit of others. We seem to work to fund our lavish, materialistic expenses, and I admit, I'm no exception. I work in a job I despise purely because it pays off my minimum payment on my credit card, and funds my Topshop and ASOS shopping sprees. Not many people would give that up for a job that is purely beneficial to those around them, and I absolutely take my metaphorical hat off to Stacey Bess for every thing she achieved. To say you're an inspiration is by far an underestimate, and there should be more people like you in the world. And if there was, perhaps there wouldn't be so much bad, and more of the good.


- Lo x