May 20, 2011: Simple acts of generosity can lead to friendship, by Julie Gross

Humility is defined in the dictionary as being modest or respectful.

People in this world sometimes fail to show the respect we all want. Most of the time people display this disrespect by gossiping, name calling and anything else.

If we could get past our huge egos and own personal need to feel like we are in charge and be humble, we probably would all be able to get along.

Even I struggle with being humble. Most of us — including me — want to be noticed. I love being in the spotlight but sometimes we need to let the others in the spotlight.

No one is perfect but if we don’t listen to each other we’ll never be able to get along. All the time we all usually want to get along, but we can’t since we aren’t humble.

Ways to be humble are simple: To let someone else get a solo that we all wanted, to let them have the starting position on the sports team and things like that. These things are that simple to give up but we fail to be humble and giving and that leads to jealousy.

Next time someone really wants one of these things or something similar then consider giving it to them. Think how happy they will be.

Once people do these things, humility might just create a lasting friendship between all of us.

— Julie Gross is an eighth-grader at Concordia Junior High School.  She is the daughter of Mark and Lori Gross.