By Elizabeth Van Auken, MindOH! Grant Writer

Summer's here. The official mark was my daughter's graduation from school ... preschool that is. Her school had a special ceremony, complete with canary blue caps and gowns. Watching the 60 four and five-year olds line into the auditorium along to the graduation march was touching and amusing. Some of the transitioning preschoolers stopped to pick up something off the floor, completely forgetting the processional line, and only snapped to attention, at the gentle nudging of a teacher. Some cried. Some giggled. But, all of the parents, well we laughed, cheered, clapped, ooohed, ahhed. Once they were seated on stage, we got two performances: Macarena Months, and The Days of the Week, sung to the Adams Family theme song. Two of the front row graduates stood transfixed, arms crossed, and refused participation altogether. Macarena Months, "Can't make me," the body language said.

One child shouted the words instead of singing. Another danced with such gusto that she nearly knocked over her chair and a few neighboring friends. But, all of us parents, well we cheered, clapped, oohed and ahhed. After all, what can be more special than a group of wiggly preschoolers coming together to celebrate the end of one year and the start of another? What can be more special than watching children behaving like children? The ceremony was wonderful, because the pomp and circumstance was highlighted by the spontaneity and joy of that moment. We celebrated a big transition, but also the wonderful, unique and special behavior, that makes children such a joy: everything from stopping to smell the roses (or the paper on the carpet), to being stubborn, to flamboyantly center stage.

In addition to receiving her diploma, graduation t-shirt, and class photo, Hannah made a "What's Special About Me Card." Her list of things she's good at included: arts and crafts, not spilling drinks, cutting, and being patient. She's certainly a whiz at the first three entries, but being patient, well, that's a work in progress. After all, self discipline is not an easy trait to master. But things change. By high school the very same procession will probably go forward with drill team-like precision. By then, Hannah will have a class photo of people a few feet taller, a graduation t-shirt lined with new friends, and a whole new list of things she's good at, and patience, well it's my guess that that will still be a work in progress. I know it is for me, and I'm a lot closer to 40 than 4.

Life lets you work towards things, and I believe character is no different. In today's world we often celebrate "getting it right" over "enjoying the getting". It a takes self-discipline to train yourself to celebrate the journey, and not just the destination. I think every person, workplace, and home should have its own special, "On the Way" or "Happy Journey" celebration, complete with "What's Special About Me" cards. It would give us all a chance to share, laugh, and celebrate all of the unique talents and traits that we bring to the family, the office, and the world, today, that help make life the exciting journey that it is. I already have a t-shirt designed.

By MindOH! Guest Author Seth Schapiro, Creator and Developer of the WiseSkills character-building program

As problems on campuses have increased, more and more educators are developing strategies to prevent violence at school. "Bullying prevention" has become a popular phrase to indicate programs and strategies to reduce aggressive behaviors at school.

However, this term focuses on the negative behavior we hope to prevent rather than on the positive character qualities we want to cultivate in young people. Helping young people develop into people of character involves far more than just having them not do certain behaviors, but actually making positive, healthy, and ethical decisions throughout all that they do.

By Marvin Berkowitz, Sanford N. McDonnell Professor of Character Education, University of Missouri-St. Louis

Shakespeare wrote that "all the world's a stage."

Works for me. I love an audience. Perhaps you do, too. Many of my friends are performers of one sort or another: comedians, actors, singers, musicians, dancers and writers. They also seem to love an audience.

Here's the problem: I love to brag and show off, but I was raised so that I feel uncomfortable doing it. It is vain.

So I try to stifle my need for an audience when it comes to talking about myself or my periodic accomplishments. Recently, a book of my columns came out (notice that I didn't even say, "I wrote a book," or "I put out a book."). But I have great difficulty telling people about it. This is not a desirable attribute when it comes to marketing.