| iv id="body"> | | | | her honor in Kingston, Jamaica. Congratulations were |
| Nandell Palmer's "Blessings at Your Fingertips" starts | | | | received from Queen Elizabeth, Nobel Peace Prize |
| with a simple idea and expands from talking about | | | | Winner, Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa, |
| our fingertips to filling our hearts with love, | | | | the governor and senators of Washington State, |
| appreciation, and a desire to do more for our fellow | | | | scientists in Antarctica, and educators from around |
| human beings. Within the first few pages, I was so | | | | the globe including Canada, Australia, Thailand and |
| engrossed with this book, thoroughly resonating with | | | | Peru. |
| its message, my heart filling with joy, that had life | | | | The magic of "Blessings at Your Fingertips" hardly |
| not intervened, I could have read it all day until I had | | | | ends there. Palmer tells numerous stories, both |
| finished. But life has its inconveniences, and Palmer | | | | personal and from people he knows, about blessings |
| even has a chapter talking about how we should not | | | | that have come into their lives from generosity and |
| be frustrated by being inconvenienced-that person | | | | love. He tells of how he and his wife adopted his |
| you may not want to ask over for Christmas Dinner | | | | niece's three children when she died, and the |
| but feel you should so he isn't alone can turn out to | | | | inconceivable blessings that have resulted. My favorite |
| be a blessing to your entire family. Palmer knows-it's | | | | story in the book is when his pastor gave him a dollar |
| happened to him. | | | | for answering a question correctly during a sermon. |
| The book's title is the heart of Palmer's message. He | | | | Palmer decided he would use the dollar as seed |
| explains how we can use the simple things at our | | | | money to make it multiply. After brainstorming about |
| fingertips to advance our greatness and joy. Of our | | | | possible ways to do so with his sons, he bought |
| body parts, we pay a lot of attention to our hearts | | | | some chicken nuggets from Wendy's, which he |
| and brains, even our biceps, but we should not | | | | asked his friend to buy from him for $5. He used that |
| discount our fingertips-they can write a book on a | | | | $5 to buy some items at the dollar store, which he |
| typewriter for us, they can play a musical instrument, | | | | then resold. As he told people what he was doing, |
| they sewed the biblical Joseph's coat of many colors, | | | | they became interested in buying things from him |
| and they are what Jesus used to write in the sand | | | | until he had $141 dollars, which he presented back to |
| to save a woman's life. We pass our blessings onto | | | | his pastor within a two-week period. The results, as |
| others by using our fingertips, to cook a meal, to | | | | Palmer explains in more detail in the book, were an |
| bathe someone, to write a thank you note. Palmer | | | | unexpected windfall of money for his friend who |
| gives us numerous examples of such blessings | | | | made the first purchase, and for Palmer, unexpected |
| throughout his book, making us see the world in new | | | | and fabulous blessings. With such intriguing stories, |
| and brighter ways. | | | | you can understand why I found it hard to put down |
| Ms. Martin, Palmer's fourth-grade teacher, exemplifies | | | | this book. |
| what blessings can come simply from using our | | | | Of course, no book is perfect; here and there are |
| fingertips. Palmer can recall Ms. Martin's class vividly. | | | | some sentences which will sound awkward to the |
| He remembers the name of every one of his fellow | | | | American reader's ears-probably owing to some |
| fourth-grade students-something he cannot do from | | | | language usage variation since Palmer is Jamaican by |
| his other classes. Why does he remember their | | | | birth, but the reader will barely notice since the |
| names? Because Ms. Martin made each of her | | | | meaning behind the words makes them read like |
| students feel important. How? By an act so simple as | | | | nuggets of gold. Or perhaps I should say diamond |
| using her fingertips to take a piece of chalk and write | | | | nuggets. Palmer also has a chapter on how to snatch |
| one student's name on the blackboard each day, | | | | back the diamond nuggets from your past. Even |
| celebrating that student as the day's king or queen. | | | | though some events may appear to be negative, we |
| This simple action made the students anticipate who | | | | can find the good in them. Palmer has a powerful |
| would be the celebrated student each day, and each | | | | chapter entitled, "What Does Forgiveness Have to |
| student got his or her name on the board at least | | | | Do with Breast Milk" that makes us consider, even if |
| three times during the school year. No student was | | | | our mother or another person neglected or hurt us, |
| passed over, and hardly anyone was ever absent | | | | that they also showed us love-our mothers carried us |
| from school because no one wanted to miss the day | | | | in their wombs, making sure nothing happened to us; |
| he or she would be celebrated. Where Ms. Martin | | | | they fed us with their very own breast milk-these |
| found the wisdom to do this simple activity-Palmer | | | | are all demonstrations of love. I have had the |
| searched and could find no other example of a | | | | privilege to witness in person Palmer speak to an |
| teacher ever doing so-is unknown, but what it did | | | | audience about forgiveness, an experience that can |
| was create great self-esteem in her students. That | | | | bring grown men to tears. |
| simple act changed the lives of her students, and in | | | | This book review cannot begin to mention all the |
| turn allowed those students to go about touching | | | | nuggets of gold Palmer includes in his book. Other |
| numerous more lives. Had Ms. Martin not taught the | | | | great stories, filled with good advice, explain to us |
| author self-esteem, perhaps he would not have | | | | the true value of money and how we can use it for |
| written "Blessings at Your Fingertips" which doubtless | | | | our benefit, how some bedbugs brought a group of |
| will touch countless lives itself, and his fellow students | | | | diverse people together, and how to reach out with |
| from that class have gone on to pay dividends by | | | | love to people, including your family members, only to |
| being blessings to others simply by Ms. Martin's daily | | | | find that the love multiplies and comes back to you. |
| act. | | | | Instead of just giving us chicken soup for the soul, |
| Palmer's own kindness is apparent throughout this | | | | Palmer, as in the proverb about not giving a man a |
| book, and the reader cannot help but like him | | | | fish but teaching him how to fish, teaches us to look |
| immensely. One example of his generous heart is | | | | at our fingertips, to consider what they are capable |
| how he decided to express his appreciation to Ms. | | | | of accomplishing, to feel good about ourselves and to |
| Martin in a special way when he was an adult; rather | | | | feel good about other people, so good that when |
| than giving her a physical or monetary gift, he | | | | the book is finished, we are inspired to go out into |
| pondered how best to show his appreciation. | | | | the world and make a difference, whether it's by |
| Ultimately, he launched his personal campaign to | | | | adopting a child, feeding the homeless, or simply |
| collect congratulatory letters for her from every | | | | giving a stranger a smile. "Blessings at Your Fingertips" |
| continent, letters he read to her at a reception held in | | | | is, indeed, the feel good book of the year. |