Perfect Happiness Is a Beautiful Sunset, the Giggle of a Grandchild

Perfect happiness is a beautiful sunset, the giggle of a grandchild, the first snowfall. It’s the little things that make happy moments, not the grand events. Joy comes in sips, not gulps.

Sharon Draper

When I saw this quote, I’ve never heard of Sharon Draper. After quick read of her Wikipedia page, she seems like a wonderful person. Good teachers are a gift and to the few shining examples from my own life, I still think of you all a lot. Thank you for the lifelong gifts you have given me. And thank you, Ms. Draper, for teaching children about tough subjects including empathy for the less-abled. That bit of biography about her makes the quote even more powerful.

About the author

Sharon Draper (born August 21, 1948), is an American children’s writer, professional educator, and the 1997 National Teacher of the Year. Many of Draper’s books for children and young adults contain mature and serious themes, such as death, grief, and abuse. Draper has said that she uses these themes as they are “the realities of life” for many young people. For readers who do not have disabilities, experiencing a book through the eyes of someone who is disabled both fosters empathy and challenges readers to question society’s connection between able-ness and intelligence.