My mom introduced me to an amazing book in childhood. The title was about something I’ve always loved, Dresses. The subject matter is much deeper. The book my mom gave me won a 1945 Newbery award for its contribution to children’s literature. The book is “The Hundred Dresses” by Eleanor Estes and the story centers around an impoverished girl with big dreams who is unfortunately made fun of at school. It is an excellent book for teaching empathy to children, and even adults. It taught me that true beauty, and sometimes talent,  is overlooked because it’s packaging. It also emphasizes the importance for speaking up for those who can’t speak for themselves.

October 17th is the UN International Day for the eradication of poverty. It promotes awareness of the need to eradicate poverty and destitution worldwide, particulairly in developing countries. In the United States, we still have individuals who don’t live in ideal circumstances. Teaching compassion to a new generation ensures we can continue to seek solutions for a better tomorrow. We can all stand up for those who have limited voices in our world due to circumstances not always under their control.

“After a long, long time she reached an important conclusion. She was never going to stand by and say nothing again.
Eleanor Estes, The Hundred Dresses