I have a dear friend who had a birthday this week—a big one. She turned 75.
But you’d never guess it.

She’s one of those people who seems completely ageless—physically strong, mentally sharp, and always ready for a hike, a challenge, or a great conversation. She exercises her body and her mind with equal passion.

But the best thing about her? The way she makes you feel when you’re around her.

Maybe you know someone like that—the kind of person who sees the good in everyone, who lifts you up, who makes you believe, Yes, I am worthy. That’s my friend Janice. Everyone loves being around her, and so do I.

I strive to be like her. But I’ll be honest—it doesn’t always come naturally to me. I work at staying positive. I work at seeing the good. I work at being good.

It reminds me of a lesson I once taught when I was a kindergarten teacher.

There was a little boy in my class who was just… trouble. He couldn’t seem to behave. One day, after kicking his classmates more times than I could count, I pulled him aside and said,
“We don’t hurt others. That’s not how we treat people. Can you tell me why you’re doing this?”

His little face crumpled. “Mrs. Clark,” he said, “I can’t stop being mean. It just comes out of me. I’m just not good.”

Whew. That one hit me right in the heart.

But I knew it was my job to help him see a different story.
I told him that every single person has both meanness and goodness inside them. And every day, we get to choose which one we act on. The more we choose to be kind, the easier it gets.

So we practiced.
All day long, the kids worked on acts of kindness. Every time they did something thoughtful, they earned a sticker.

By the end of the day, that little boy’s shirt was covered in stickers—and his smile could’ve lit up the whole classroom. He did it. He chose the good. And you know what? He liked how that felt.

It reminded me of an old Native American story—The Two Wolves.
A grandfather tells his grandson that inside all of us are two wolves.
One is full of love, compassion, and generosity.
The other is full of anger, selfishness, and fear.

The grandson asks, “Which one wins?”
The grandfather replies, “The one you feed.”

I know which wolf my friend Janice feeds. You can see it glowing from her smile, her spirit, and the way she makes people feel.

That’s the wolf I want to feed too.
Some days, I feed it scraps. Some days, I forget to feed it at all.
But the more I practice, the easier it gets.

And like I told my students—goodness is always inside you. You just have to keep choosing it, one small act at a time.

So let’s practice—today, tomorrow, and the next day.
Let’s feed the right wolf.

-Peni