“Yes!!!”

That’s the reply I got after asking if you’d like to help me at the Seacoast Family Food Pantry (GATHER) in Portsmouth.  So many people don’t know where they’ll get their next meal.

I’ve been working with their Board of Directors and agreed to help raise money from local businesses.  It’s a big community fund raiser where the food collected is placed in every seat of the Music Hall.  The “Fill The Hall” event gets food to kids during the summer months between school ending and beginning.

I picked you up in the Explorer and soon we were zipping along Rt. 9 in Dover, headed toward Portsmouth, Emma riding shotgun, Molly in the back seat.  I was talking about what the day would bring, what you’d have to do, where we’d go.

A voice from the back seat:

“Papa, don’t we have to bring something?”

A voice from the front seat:

“Yeah, like aren’t we going to the grocery store to get food?”

Doh!  In the hectic excitement I had forgotten the most important thing of all:  what we’d be bringing to the event!   I was so focused on what we’d be doing I had forgotten the most important thing of all – our food contribution.  Good thing you were with me; thanks Emma & Molly, you are such kind-hearted young souls.

Off to Hannaford’s we went.  Emma, you checked GATHER’s list of recommended food from their web site and wrote up our shopping list:

Having bought hundreds of dollars of food items, we were off to the Music Hall.  When we got there, volunteers eagerly unloaded our donations. I introduced you to people I knew and took this photo:

Soon we were assigned box making duties.  There was a live camera streaming the event as people did their thing.

Now you can say you’ve been on stage at the Portsmouth Music Hall – how cool was that? Many famous people have spoken, played and sung on that stage.

We worked until no boxes were left, then headed across the street to eat yummy subs at Bennett’s as we watched people walk by on the sidewalk.

Bellies full, we walked over to the Portsmouth African American Burial ground and I explained the history.  “You mean their bodies are under our feet?” Molly asked.  Yes that’s right!  It’s wonderful they were able to honor these people by making an outdoor museum; they even closed the street to make it happen.  I love how the hands from the man and woman are reaching out for each other; she often has fresh flowers in her hand.

Before leaving my favorite city, we got waffle cones from Kilwin’s, one of the best ice cream shops in the Seacoast.  What a fantastic day; thanks for being with me and helping make the world a better place.  I know you will always be kind, compassionate souls, bringing joy and happiness to others.

It’s already clear (has been for awhile) you are not an average “kid,” or maybe I should now say “young woman.”

you’re not inwardly focused, you’re outwardly focused.

you don’t wait for life to unfold, you think about things, plan, wonder and try

you’re not afraid to take risks and do things that are different, scary

you expect a level of excellence from yourself and push to achieve it

you’re not going through the motions, you’re grabbing life by the hand saying, “Let’s go!”

three recent cases in point:

Brave & confident – the city of Dover wasn’t able to organize a spring soccer team for your age group.  You wanted to play – so did a few other girls – and so an agreement was reached with the town of Epping where Dover girls could join their team. You didn’t hesitate!  Looking back at my own level of confidence at 11 years old, I would have been way too nervous and intimidated to become part of a team in a distant town, joining a group of players and coaches I didn’t even know. This took guts, confidence and self assurance.  With this kind of “nothing will stop me” attitude, you’re going to be a big success Emma.

Entrepreneurial – having decided you wanted to start babysitting, you attended a course at Wentworth Douglas Hospital to prepare yourself.  Several weeks later you had your certificate… and knowledge. Did you stop there and wait for the world to come to your doorstep?  No!!  You made business cards, laminated them and walked around your neighborhood handing them out… but not randomly… to houses where you knew they had kids.  This is called “being entrepreneurial” (read earlier blogs about things you did like raising money to fight cancer).  There are two kinds of people in this world… people who wait for circumstances to come to them and people who create their own circumstances.  You are the latter.  This is of particular interest to me and Grammy  because we started our own business, and later on, created a scholarship called The Beaupre Entrepreneurial Scholarship, recognizing and rewarding students from Somersworth High School going to UNH who demonstrate the attributes of personal motivation. Entrepreneurs make things happen, they don’t sit back.

Achiever – this past school year you had a hunger to succeed, a drive to reach a certain level academically.  While you’ve always been a good student, in sixth grade you set a specific goal:  achieving high honors which is a 9.3 average across all your classes.  You not only worked hard to achieve this, you thought about it often and talked about it… with your parents and your teachers. The goal was clear, tangible, measurable and openly shared.  There was one class where you were just a little shy of the 9.3 mark, but because all your other grades had reached that level – and because your teacher knew what you were trying to achieve and was proud of you and supportive – the 9.2 became a 9.3 and you achieved your objective.  Way to go Emma!  Dreams and goals are so important in life… but equally important is creating a path, a blueprint with specific steps to help make dreams and goals a reality.  That’s what you did Emma.

Keep doing this your entire life and you will have an amazing journey, touching many, making a difference, leaving the world a better place.  I’m so proud of you!