mead·ow /ˈmedō/, noun: land that is covered or mostly covered with grass and often wild flowers “In a meadow full of flowers, you cannot walk through and breathe those smells and see all those colors and remain angry. We have to support the beauty, the poetry, of life.” Jonas Mekas, 1922 – “It is the mind which creates the world around us, and even... Read More

re·mem·brance /rəˈmembrəns/, noun: 1. the act of remembering a person, thing, or event “To be a surrealist means barring from your mind all remembrance of what you have seen, and being always on the lookout for what has never been.” Rene Magritte, 1898 – 1967 2. something that is done or made to honor the memory of a person, thing, or event example: National... Read More

mind·ful·ness /ˈmīn(d)f(ə)lnəs/, noun: the quality or state of being conscious or aware of something “Mindfulness means paying attention in a particular way, on purpose, in the present moment non-judgmentally.” Jon Kabat-Zinn, 1944 – “With mindfulness, you can establish yourself in the present in order to touch the wonders of life that are available in that moment.” Nhat Hanh, 1926 – pictured: Since 2012, Jim... Read More

cre·a·tive /krē-ā’tiv/, adjective: resulting from originality of thought or expression; imaginative “A creative man is motivated by the desire to achieve, not by the desire to beat others.” Ayn Rand, 1905 – 1982 “To love a creative life, we must lose our fear of being wrong.” Unknown author “The monotony and solitude of a quiet life stimulates the creative mind.” Albert Einstein, 1879 –... Read More

kind·ness /ˈkīn(d)nəs/, noun: the quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate of others; goodness, compassion “A warm smile is the universal language of kindness.” William Arthur Ward, 1921 – 1994 Thank you again for your generous donation of dictionaries to our third grade. The students are thrilled with them. They have been continually looking through them during the day. Judy Ainsworth, third grade teacher,... Read More

thank·ful /ˈthaŋk-fəl/, adjective: to be grateful, to show appreciation or praise “The unthankful heart discovers no mercies; but the thankful heart will find, in every hour, some heavenly blessings.” Henry Ward Beecher, 1813 ― 1887 “Be thankful for what you have, you’ll end of having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough.” Oprah Winfrey, 1954 ―... Read More

he·ro /ˈhirō/, noun: a person of great strength and courage who is admired or idealized for his or her outstanding achievements or noble qualities “You don’t raise heroes, you raise sons. And if you treat them like sons, they’ll turn out to be heroes, even if it’s just in your own eyes.” Walter M. Schirra Sr., 1923 – 2007 “A hero is an ordinary... Read More

hap·pi·ness /ˈhapēnəs/, noun: conscious enjoyment of good fortune; contentment “Hoping to live days of greater happiness, I forget that days of less happiness are passing by.” Elizabeth Bishop, 1911 – 1979 “It is not how much we have, but how much we enjoy, that makes happiness.” Charles Spurgeon, 1934 – 1892 “Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do... Read More

com·pare /kəmˈper/, verb: 1. to examine the character or qualities of an object or person, especially in order to discover similarities or differences “When you are content to be simply yourself and don’t compare or compete, everybody will respect you.” Lao Tzu, c. 531 BCE “Instead of comparing our lot with that of those who are more fortunate than we are, we should compare... Read More