Thoughtful NJ Girl Scout publishes book with meaningful purpose

About eight months ago a few of us at the radio station received a very nice email from a high school senior from Yardville. Her name is Samantha Horne and she asked if we could share a bit of wisdom or advice we received from our mothers.

It was a very detailed message about her project for the Girl Scout's Gold Award Program.

Having a mother that was not shy about sharing her wisdom or her thoughts about life, it was not too hard to come up with something. I remember my mother repeating old Sicilian sayings that her mother shared with her throughout her life.

Some of them didn't translate well into English, but the meaning was always clear. The sayings were always something about life's trials and tribulations and they were a cherished memory for all of us.

In today's world, communication has evolved from the spoken word to many forms available in an instant, online and of course in books. By the way, my grandmother could neither read nor write.

I shared a simple bit of advice that my mother gave me when I was a young man and maybe getting a bit over my skis in my head. She said, "It's nice to be important but it's more important to be nice." Not the most profound phase ever uttered but it stuck with me for a long time.

Samantha recently sent us a copy of the little book she put together to help girls and young women become better adults. What a thoughtful and meaningful endeavor for a young woman. She did it!

It's available on Amazon and would make a great stocking stuffer for this Christmas and a great gift any time of the year. It's called, "What Would You Tell Your Younger Self."

Proceeds will benefit organizations that support the growth and advancement of young women, such as Girl Scouts and others. We hope the panel sees the great effort and purpose in Samantha's project to grant her the Girl Scout's Gold Award. With young people like Samantha living in New Jersey, it gives us all hope for the future.

Congratulations on a great project and great book Samantha!

The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Dennis Malloy. Any opinions expressed are Dennis Malloy's own.