Erin Drouin, Jessica Simpson, Tom Maynard and Courtney Danforth pose with Sen. Tony Guglielmo, Gail Tishler and Marcia Elliott at a brunch honoring the Laws of Life essay contest winners. Photo by Barbara Bresnahan, ReminderNews.

The Laws of Life essay contest challenges young people of all ages to discover for themselves the values that will guide them throughout life and emphasizes reflection and writing about the people and experiences that have helped to shape these values.

Stafford Middle School Guidance Counselor Gail Tishler, Anna Howell and Deidriene Knowlton have been encouraging the school’s eighth-grade students to participate in the Laws of Life contest for many years and have read an amazing number of heart-wrenching and inspiring essays from the students over the years. Although there is no prescribed topic students have to address, three of the four winners of the contest at Stafford Middle School happened to focus on the same thing... grandparents.

In her essay entitled “It’s Going to be OK,” fourth-place winner Jessica Simpson said that her grandfather showed her that strength is an important law of life. Too emotional to read the essay herself , Simpson handed her essay to Tishler , who read it to a gathering of parents, siblings, teachers and other guests. With plenty of tissues on hand, the tearful crowd listened as Simpson’s words described “Grampy” (a.k.a. “Slugger” ) and his affinity for sports, landscaping and bologna sandwiches. “I loved him so much with all my heart,” her essay read. “Little did I know, this summer would be one of the toughest ones that I will ever experience in my whole life,” it continued.

Before he passed away, he said to his granddaughter, “It’s going to be OK Jess, I love you.” His strength and continual smile throughout his last days affected Simpson immensely, giving her an even greater fondness and appreciation for her grandfather.

Thomas Maynard also chose to write about a grandparent - his great-grandmother “Mem” - in his third-place winner essay entitled “Always There for Me.” Infused with humorous recollections , Maynard’s report illustrated the great respect the family gave her as she sat at the center of every family event. It also illustrated her stubborn nature, which kept her alive and well for 93 years, until her death in 2006. Maynard wrote, “The greatest lesson that Mem ever taught me was to do all that I could for someone, and it would come back to me. She is living proof of this, because she helped us and did things for us when we were young, and we began to do the same for her when she got older.”

First-place winner, Courtney Danforth, wrote about her grandfather “Papa” in “Appreciation.” Fighting back tears, she recollected how life was great was she was 6 and she “had it all.”

“I would visit my grandparents almost every day, since we lived so close to them. I used to love visiting them because, to me, they were the most fun and enthusiastic people in the world,” she read. After moving to Connecticut, her main concern was that she wouldn’t be able to see her grandparents as often, but soon that concern faded as she entered “the disease ‘teenager’ .” With social teenage worries plaguing her, Danforth said she eventually forgot about her family. Once her grandfather fell ill, Danforth said she came to realize that she had been “greedy” and had taken him for granted. Describing her law of life, Danforth read, “I feel I have a strong connection with Papa now because I pray to him a lot, and I know he hears me... I just know with my heart.” Ending her essay she stated, “In my eyes there is a big connection between appreciation and loss. Don’t ever take anything important for granted. Appreciate what you have now, before it’s gone.”

Erin Drouin, who won second-place, wrote about her sister Renee in an essay entitled “A Hidden Hero.” “She’s like Supergirl to me. She has a healthy social life, she does charity work, and while doing all this she upholds an A average, while having the time on the side to annoy me,” she read, as the audience laughed.

In her report, Drouin made many comparisons between herself and her sister. She revealed a fair amount of sibling rivalry, but opted to turn the common teenage predicament into something positive and life changing. Drouin’s sister became her hero, as she tried to emulate her sister’s positive characteristics. She became a happier person by following in her sister’s footsteps . “I didn’t realize it, but her footsteps were nice ones to follow in,” she read.

Each of the winners received savings bonds or Barnes and Noble gift certificates . This year’s judges were Pastor Joe Chamberland of the First United Methodist Church, Dr. Marcia Elliott, principal of West Stafford School, State Senator Tony Guglielmo and police Officer Frank Prochaska. The four essays were narrowed down from 163 submitted by the middle school students and were judged anonymously.

Laws of Life was created in 1987 by John Templeton. Since 1987, the contest has spread to communities and schools throughout the United States and around the world. Each contest is locally funded. In Stafford, the contest is sponsored by the SMS PTO and student essays are submitted to The School for Ethical Education a Milford organization that organizes Connecticut’s statewide Laws of Life Essay Program.

Adapted from: http://www.remindernews.com/node/7/&url=STAFF-2008-05-06-6-Ar00600

2008-2009 Program: