When I was a kid I honestly thought that my dad could fix anything. He’s a very competent man, extremely handy, and a workaholic. He knows a lot about a lot of things, something about many more things, and what he doesn’t know he tends to make up as he goes. He worked 3rd shift for all of my growing up years, and when he wasn’t working at his factory job as an electrician, he was doing electric work on the side and taking care of the yard and maintenance work not only at our house but also at my grandparent’s home. He did take time to sleep, of course, but didn’t seem to need as much as most people.
Dad was on a bowling team when I was quite small and I liked to wait up until he came home wearing all the exotic smells of a smoky bowling alley. One of my fondest childhood memories is of sitting on his lap on our back porch one hot summer evening when he had returned from bowling. We watched the heat lightning and he taught me about electricity in the sky. Once a month or so mom would dress up and go out to a meeting for the evening, leaving Dad to babysit. We would always have ice-cream topped with marshmallows, chocolate chips, candy sprinkles, and anything else we could find in the cupboard.
Born early in 1929, Dad had had a rough life and his goal was to be sure that his own children had the things he was denied as a child. Along with two older brothers, Dad’s mother had left him at the county children’s home when her husband died leaving her penniless. He was not much older than one. When he was around 12 he was adopted by a childless couple who needed labor on their farm. Having been treated harshly by some of his caretakers at the home, he then found himself in a home with harsh parents. Before he graduated high school he joined the Navy to escape the farm. He learned to be tough, to survive, and to work hard to make a good life.
Dad was nearly always kind to me, but I did fear his anger. I was into my teens before I could see, that dad wasn’t always so nice to other people. He was very critical of my mother and my brother; no, more than critical. It was not until my 30’s that I understood that Dad was abusive to my mother and my brother. He never hit them, never harmed them on the surface. It was his words that did the damage, though I never heard him swear. He’s mellowed a lot in his old age, and as far as I know he no longer treats my mother badly and does not purposefully say things to anger my brother. My brother however, has never recovered from the effects of the abuse, and is in fact more like his dad than he’d ever admit. For reasons I will never know, I was spared from the verbal abuse. It left it’s mark nonetheless, and is something I’ve had to prayerfully deal with.
My dad is 78 now and I am grateful that he is still with us and in reasonably good health. I admire his determination, his perseverance, his intelligence, strength, and his sense of humor. He tried hard to be a good dad, and he was to me if not to my brother. He has been a wonderful grandpa to my children. I am proud of the man my dad became, by sheer determination and the grace of God, and am thankful for the “good” life he created for his family.
I pray that God will bless you, Daddy. I’ll always be your girl.
CNN reported this morning that Sony is selling a video game in which a very violent shoot out takes place inside Manchester Cathedral. Read it here. The Church of England is reportedly seeking from Sony an apology and a donation for its work with young people.
Another sad commentary on the world we live in. Nothing is sacred. Respect seems to be a long forgotten concept. What makes it even worse is the fact that the city of Manchester apparently has a real problem with gun violence. I hope that The Church gets everything it’s asking for and more.
A Sony spokesperson is reported as stating, “Throughout the whole process we have sought permission where necessary.” I don’t think so. Did they ask the Church of England for permission to depict the Cathedral in such a manner? Did they asked the families of victims of gun violence in Manchester how they felt about having their town and it’s troubles exploited? As far as I’m concerned, whatever “donation” the church gets from Sony can not begin to make up for the damage they do in promoting violence.
That long awaited day of the school year has arrived; the last day. Most kids have been anxious for some time now to start their summer vacation. What they don’t realize is that we teachers are just as excited at the prospect. About mid-to-late April you can sense a shift in the kids attention, effort, and attitude. By mid-May you start to loose many of them. As May’s end nears you had better be done with assessments because the results will no longer be optimum. I think next year I need to have all my assessments finished by May 15 if at all possible!
A staple of the last day of school is the school-wide awards assembly. The gym is packed with students, staff, parents, and grandparents and long before it’s over you wonder if it will ever end. My major behavior problem, whom I shall call Brandon (not his real name but every Brandon I’ve ever personally known has had issues), was sitting next to me when about half way through the tedious event another of my students finally arrived. There are no chairs left of course, and before I had time to figure out what to do, little Brandon volunteered to sit on my lap. Now this is not something I normally allow, but it seemed the best solution. (I teach first grade so this is not as inappropriate as it may sound.) You’d have thought I gave the kid a new toy, he was so happy. I soon realized that this situation was an opportunity that God had blessed me with on the final day with this child. Of all my students, this is the child that most needs an opportunity to sit on somebody’s lap. As Brandon sat there I prayed for him and treated him for those moments as though he were my own little boy sitting with mommy. I prayed for God to pour His love into this child and that Brandon would remember, not that moment or who he was with, but just the feeling of being very loved.
After the assembly we returned to our classroom where I handed out the classroom awards to each student. I make these awards up myself by prayerfully reflecting on what I see in each of my students, whether it be a particular academic gift or a great smile. Their faces light up as I tell them why I chose for them the award they are receiving. I have always felt that this is an opportunity to speak into their young lives in a special way. One little guy, David, got an award for “dependability”. Later in the day I asked him to take something to another teacher for me. He grinned and said, “You asked me because I’m dependable!” I have a feeling that he will become even more dependable as he remembers his special award.
Lord,
These children are precious to you. Keep them in your loving care.
Thank you for bringing them to my classroom this year. Bring those kids who need me, and whom I need, to my classroom next year.
Renew and refresh me during the next weeks, Great Teacher, that I may be ready to start all over again come August.
Amen.
I had a conversation with my daughter today in which I found myself giving her advice/encouragement. I’ve quickly realized that I need to take my own advice and make it even more a part of my everyday life.
1. Act like you feel confident especially when you don’t feel that way at all; it actually helps you become more confident.
2. Let yourself have some fun with whatever you are doing. You can work hard and try to do everything well and then one day you’re gone and no one remembers any of it. In the end what will really matter is that you’ve lived your life, really lived, and to do that you have to have some fun!
3. When working with children (of any age) every mistake you make can turn into an opportunity. In the way you handle mistakes you can model to kids that it’s OK to make mistakes; everyone does, even you. You can help kids take risks when you remind them of the fact that you make mistakes too and it’s really OK.
4. The Lord is your strength; never more apparent than when you feel uncertain and overwhelmed.
5. KISS….acronym for “keep it simple stupid!” I have found time and again that simple is more effective. When I try to get fancy, impressive, and ‘perfect’ is when I get in trouble. Simple is the way to go in nearly any situation. (I’d like to think of another word to substitute for ’stupid’ in that acronym…see #6.)
6. Talk nice to yourself, and talk yourself through the situation you’re faced with. Actually it was daughter who pointed out to me that I need to talk nice to myself rather than call myself a dummy or a ditz when I forget something or goof up in some way. “OK Nancy, you can write this blog, really…you’re smart….you can write…take a deep breath and go for it!”
With God’s help I shall listen to my own advice.
Help me Lord.
Help dear daughter.
Amen.
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Tip Your Tour Guide
I feel really blessed today; I got a $5.00 tip from one of my tourists.
For the second summer now, I am working part time as a tour guide at a local cavern that is open to the public. I had wanted to be a tour guide of some sort for many years. A cave/cavern wouldn’t have been my first choice, but it is working out well for me. It’s not always easy work, but it is fun. Last summer I got a dollar tip two times all summer, and honestly I didn’t think too much about it. I figured that if anyone was going to get tips it would be the guides who are young and cute, and I don’t think I’d be considered to be in either of those categories.
It was a nice surprise when last week on my first day back this season, 3 people tipped me! I thanked the Lord for the blessing and thought it to be a sign of a good season ahead. Then this happens today; wow! I had never thought to tip the tour guide on any of the many guided tours that I’ve been on over the years. It just never occurred to me I guess, and I figured that they are getting paid for the job they do. But now that I’m living it, I know that the reality is that while tour guides are paid, it’s not a lot really and the job itself can be harder than it looks. Tour guides must give the same speech multiple times a day, day after day and still be excited about the place they are showing to the tourists. It’s not always easy to remain excited about something under those circumstances. Tour guides meet many really nice and interesting people, but they also have to put up with incredibly rude and inconsiderate people, out of control kids, and other trials that would vary according to the type of tour they are guiding.
I thank God today for so many blessings, including tourists that tip. God, please bless those kind people and remind me to be one of them the next time I take a tour!