Basic lessons in life, such as unconditional love, forgiveness and compassion, are formed at an early age.

According to studies, early childhood, which spans the period from birth up to 8 years of age, is critical for a child's social, emotional and physical development. About 90 percent of a child's brain develops in that time, including most of their intellect, personality and social skills.Occasionally, an inspirational story from a school crosses our desk that inspires a life lesson one can't find in a textbook. For those students without the benefit of a stable home life, it can serve as a positive building block or reinforcement.One recent story out of Mesa, Arizona, involving a kindergarten graduation and the local police department, offered a lesson in the nurturing of relationships.Shawn Prinkey, a 14-year veteran of the Mesa Police Department, is also a part-time member of the military. Because he is currently serving in Afghanistan, he couldn't make his daughter Sophia's kindergarten graduation.A fellow officer in the department and his wife, who is a teacher at the school, put together a graduation ceremony that featured other Mesa police officers who decided to attend in Prinkey's place. Sophie proudly posed with several police officers who also allowed her to sit on a police department motorcycle.Looking out for each other is a basic life lesson that Sophie and her fellow classmates can carry forward.Another story of compassion involved older students at a high school in northern New Hampshire. There, the graduating class at Profile Junior-Senior High School raised $8,000 for a four-day trip to a resort in upstate New York.After hearing that their principal, Courtney Vashaw, is battling a rare soft-tissue cancer, the seniors voted unanimously to cancel the trip and give her the money instead.Christopher Sirois, senior class president, said giving back was something that the students felt comfortable doing since they consider Vashaw a very caring and selfless person. Ian Baker, senior class treasurer, added that his classmates wanted to be selfless too, just like their principal.This story will likely trump anything in the students' senior class memory book. It also gives them something to cherish while going forward with their individual lives.By JIM ZBICKtneditor@tnonline.com