On the way to 'be kind', stone and wood artist Chris Cleary of Jericho, Vermont had litterae ligneae (wooden letters) sitting idle. While a keen artist's eye and steady hand laid low any minute unperfected corners, edges, or gaps; birch letters 'I', 'E', 'B', and 'K', were itching to get on the road and so they danced with eagerness and restlessness.

'BE KIND' was slated for delivery to a school in Vermont. The delivery truck was lagging and threatening to be a day late. What was to be done to keep the over-eager giant wooden letters from marching away on their own?

Chris, the ever-creative thinker and designer, recalled how nearly every young girl and boy, nearing the end of the school season, is eager to race the sidewalks or roadways on two wheels.

Could he give the idle letters the same sense of freedom, joy, exhilaration, connection to nature, and an adrenaline rush experienced with that first two-wheeled ride? Yes, indeed.

At the same time, the letter 'I' constructed of rulers or yardsticks would help make the connection between school and summer vacation.

The inches on the 'I' would measure the distance left before school vacation, but how to make the connection to the pedal power?

With some shuffling, previously idled statuesque birch letters, 'I', 'E', 'B', and 'K', frolicked about on the artist's front lawn.

There was a bit of a fuss when the dot on the eye ('I') bragged upon the letter 'D' about getting front-stage while 'D' and 'N' remained in the shadows.

However, the dot came around, measured up you might say, and apologized to 'N' and 'D', knowing that it was always best to be kind, especially to your buddies and kin.

After an effort at a run-on sentence the birch letters, 'I', 'E', 'B', and 'K', settled down upon the artist's green grass facing the road in a bold soon-to-be summer statement.

As the sun set, the dot on the eye ('I') measured up the day and with a few inches to spare, spread out a wide grin back at the setting sun, knowing that soon all

of his letter buddies would be together back at school spelling out

Perhaps, as a forever reminder being kind is the best way to connect schoolmates and summer fun mates and everyone in between, no matter what letter you feel you are.