Day 38

Day 38

 

Helping Mom set up her classroom each

August before school started

 

A Family Affair! Indeed!

We sure enough played hard---and…often. What a glorious life; time for everything.

We sure enough worked plenty hard, too. Kids, house, farm, animals, chores---work!

Where did the time come from? Easy! We all pulled together; everyone pitched in.

Like when old dreaded August rolled around each end-of-summer vacation. Nanny would get her teaching “stuff” ready for the new school year and we would all traipse along behind her like good little ducklings following “mom” with an innate “trust”. She never led us astray!

We sat up desks in neat, tidy rows (she couldn’t stand to have anything out-of-order), cleaned floors and windows, oil-ragged the blackboard (green in color by the ’70’s), checked the cabinet supplies for extra pencils, tablets, shirts, paints, all manner of “necessities” for any occasion.

“The teacher” conscripted her family into duty; not that any of us minded, anyway, we got to spend more time with her and each other completing the list of chores she delegated.

And, her “reward” for all this extra-ordinary effort on her part? Well! Miss Candy got a monthly pay check; but, that’s not what motivated her “excellence”---she absolutely loved the students…teaching was one way to “give back” with real meaning. She was, and, is, good at it!

Often we will be out in public, at a mall, a restaurant, in a park, almost anywhere, and some strange woman or man will come up with a broad smile to “Teacher Miss Schuler”, give her a big hug and begin an in-depth conversation with her. I’ll fade into the background and when the “visitor” reluctantly leaves her company, I’ll ask who they were.

Always, the answer is the same (different names): Oh! I had them in 19__ in second grade!

Unbelievable! She remembers each one, knows their life story---and, still…loves them!

Some things in life are “Quality!” and that is a wonderful experience.

Some people in life are “Quality!” and that is a most sacred and holy gift!

People notice this angelic “aura”; some---it scares; others…celebrate it!

If you were to listen to me, you might conclude from my diatribe that I did not like school; all of that “comedy” routine-act to lighten someone’s spirit (including, my own), but, the fact is I was a “fair” student and I still love the odor of a classroom; as unique as any other remembrance.

So? Yeah! We worked hard---and…played hard! Almost all of it the very same thing; seems a lot of your lot-in-life is more attributable to “attitude” than it might be to “circumstance”! Always plan to make your “effort” someone else’s pleasant experience and memory!

Amen! To that? Yes! I know so! Thank you!

 

Ah! Cookie Jar Sweet Memories!