Twelve-year-old Susan Simon of Serendipity, South Carolina, kept saying to herself, “Someday life will be better.” The saying kept her going despite the misery she faced every day. Her parents had passed away, and she had no brothers or sisters, no relatives, and no close friends. She was an orphan and faced each day with a broom in her hand. She was a street sweeper. Her dream was to become a nurse, specializing in caring for orphans like herself. She never lost faith that someday, the dream would come true and life would be better.
One day, she found a beautiful box lying beside a wastecan on a street she was sweeping, and curious to see what was in it, she opened the lid. Her eyes bulged when she saw its contents: It was full of money! Susan was an honest person, and as much as she wanted to keep the money, she could not. So, she brought it to the nearest police station. All of the officers knew her, and often, when she was sweeping the streets, they would give her food and a little money to buy clothes.
“Well, good morning, Susan,” Police Chief Scott Satterfield said. “What brings you to our station on this bright, sunshiny morning?” After explaining that she had found the box on the street, she gave it to him. When the chief opened it, his eyes bulged, too. Susan said that she hoped he could find its owner and turned to leave.
“Just a moment, young lady,” Chief Satterfield said and told her that nobody had reported the lost box, and for that reason, it was hers to keep. Then, he took her to the bank and helped her open a savings account. Mr. Sam Snerdley, the bank president, exclaimed, “Wow! This box contains almost a million dollars. You won’t have to sweep the streets anymore. Now, tell Chief Satterfield and me what you plan to do?”
Not hesitating, Susan said, “I’m going to study hard, become a registered nurse, and open an orphanage for little children like myself who have no parents.” The chief and the bank president said they were so proud of her and would do all they could to help her make the dream come true.
On her twenty-first birthday, Susan received a standing ovation while crossing the stage of a famous nursing school and receiving her diploma. Everyone in the audience knew how difficult her life had been, and when asked to speak a few words, she said, “Hold on to your dreams. While sweeping streets, I never lost faith and kept saying to myself, ‘Someday, life will be better.’ That simple statement kept me going. I urge everyone to accept life’s hardships and keep saying, “Someday, life will be better.”
As she gazed at the big, modern orphanage she now owned and looked forward to helping many unfortunate children find a better life, she decided what to name it: Susan Simon’s Special School For Sweet Students.
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