Dear Reader:

Several years ago, when I was still supervising student teachers (clinical interns) –  one of my young trainees did a lesson on Spookley the Square Pumpkin for her unit on shapes and numbers one October near Halloween.

It was so adorable! I shared the lesson with Mandy and other young teachers searching for holiday lessons that coincided with teaching skills. However, the main objective, had nothing to do with math skills but human ones…acceptance of diversity in all shapes and forms.

The story is simple in context but heavy in meaning. Little Spookley was born square-shaped in a pumpkin patch…soon he became the object of ridicule among the other “normal” round pumpkins. He grew sadder and sadder…being rejected and feeling he had no where to belong.

But right before Halloween one year a terrible storm unexpectedly arrived and blew over the pumpkin patch which was located near a cliff over some water…a hole was ripped in the fence and the round pumpkins were being pushed by the wind through the hole in the fence falling down into the rushing river.

Spookley realized the dilemma and wedged himself in the hole…he wasn’t blown around like the others because he wasn’t round…but square. He ends up saving the pumpkin patch from total destruction and is accepted by one and all.

Starting back in early spring…a new movement to use quirky shaped, misshapen, scarred produce (fruits and vegetables) was initiated by Whole Foods Market…called Imperfect Produce. 

Often these are displayed next to their better-looking, more expensive counterparts to give consumers an eco-friendly choice.

The 133 billion pounds worth of misshapen or scarred fruits and vegetables annually plowed under, buried in a landfill, or fed to livestock is sharply at odds with the reality that 48 million Americans face food security.

Walmart brought weather-blemished apples to 300 of its stores to kick off their imperfect role in the movement.

These numbers are staggering to me when we are all aware of world, country, and local hunger around us…we are plowing under “spookleys” just because they look different?

This is a great opportunity to share economic lessons with your children or grandchildren about frugality and sharing all God’s gifts to us on earth.

So until tomorrow…Acceptance of diversity is key to providing the answers to global problems around us.

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

Walsh and Mollie sent me this welcome to the neighborhood sign they saw driving in – nice gesture!