We wrote a letter in the fall about some students from the Florence High School coming to help us rake our yard. When offered money, they said they didn’t want to get paid, that they did it because they just wanted to help.

We were so impressed with them we decided to make a donation in their name to the Senior Graduation Lock-In Event.

A week ago Sunday, three of the four young adults came back to our house to help clean up the yard again. As many of you know, it was cold and rainy that day. When they arrived, I told them that they did not need to rake in the rain. I was told they realized it was raining and they dressed to work in it.

Along with my niece and her friend, the students raked the entire yard once again. I told them to leave the pile of leaves until it was nicer and we could pick them up. They again told me that they would pick up the leaves put them in our woods.

Our yard looks wonderful and saved us days and days of work. Again, they turned down money for the work they did.

We have made a donation to that Senior Graduation Lock-In Event. This is not a donation from us at all, though. This is money earned for the event by a group of Florence senior class members.

We had made our special chili on that day and we would have been happy to just share a meal with these extraordinary young people. They did honor us with that. They stayed and ate with us and we had a nice time conversing with them.

Today there are so many stories about how unmotivated the younger generation is. As to motivation, one of the students who has been here twice to help us is also the class valedictorian. That in itself tells a tale of a young lifetime lived well so far.

I have to tell you that I was really impressed with these students and their willingness to work.

Florence High School has some great students. If you get a chance to strike up a conversation with the young people in this area, do so. It will benefit you and the young people.

As to our new friends, we say thank you, not just for the work you did but also for the message you are sending to the community and the world. The future looks bright!