I was a little nature girl and, being part Native American, often imagined myself “living off the land.” Tanned brown from playing outdoors year round. Ever-present braids down to the middle of my back. A daydreamer–but a doer.

It was Mother’s Day and the spring dandelions were poking up in our yard. I had read that the new leaves were often used as nutritious salad greens by our hunter-gatherer ancestors. So I went out hunting and gathering dandelion greens as a gift for my mother. The part I didn’t know at the time was that you should only pick the newest tender greens, or else they are VERY bitter.

I chose nice, big, select dandelion greens and arranged them on a plate made of bark. I decided to sample them before serving them to my mom, and I was disappointed to discover that the greens were terribly astringent, causing my tongue to practically stick to my teeth with a strange bitter taste. I knew I couldn’t offer this as a Mother’s Day gift! So instead I collected some beautiful yellow dandelion blossoms, tied them together with a thick blade of field grass and, with a heart filled with love for my mother, presented them to her on her day.

Whenever my two siblings and I would ask my mom what she wanted–whether it was for Mother’s Day, her birthday, or Christmas–she always told us that all she wanted was “good kids.” And she meant it. Nothing else mattered to her.

My mother would have gladly given up anything to ensure that we grew up straight and right, stayed honest and kind. She made sure we brushed our teeth each night, even from the time we were very small. She was home to greet us at the door after school so she could be certain we didn’t mix with the wrong crowd. She baked brownies while we did our homework at the kitchen counter, and made herself available for questions. She made sure we learned what we needed to know throughout our elementary and high school years.

Truly, all Mom wanted was the best for us. Not “best” as in the best toys, but best as in whatever would help us grow into decent, successful human beings. All she wanted was “good kids.”

Isn’t that what we as parents want? The best for our kids?

I receive pain-filled letters almost every day from parents. Their child is not learning to spell and it is tearing the parent up inside. For one reason or another, their child is not getting what he or she needs in order to learn this critical skill, and the parent knows that their child will not have the best possible future without this skill. And so the parent is searching for the answer, searching for a way to give the best to their child. They are often wondering if the All About Spelling curriculum will be the right match for them.

Well, here’s what I can offer to those parents and to you–a full one-year guarantee. I want you to know that I stand behind All About Spelling and its comprehensive approach. If for any reason this program does not meet your needs, you are free to return it any time within one year for a full refund of your purchase price.

I completely understand that you want to help your kids in any way you can. And I want to help make your quest risk free!

Photo by clownfish