Amazing Moments

Recently I ran in the Race for the Cure. Every corner I turned there were cheerleaders right there to give all of us runners encouragement.  Their enthusiasm and energy were invaluable.  As I was running a steep hill in the middle of the course, I felt myself losing steam, just like a balloon with the air seeping out.  I was going flat.  Then, there they were, the cheerleaders telling me I could do it and that the top of the hill was just ahead. I soaked in those encouraging words and replayed them over and over as my feet pounded in rhythm up the hill.  They knew I could do it and so did I!  Because they believed in me, I knew I must keep going. I needed to dig down deep, push through the pain, find a new gear, keep the legs moving, and finish the race. The encouraging words from the cheerleaders were personal and meaningful and inspired me to keep running the race.   Educators are like those cheerleaders, they have the ability to encourage students everyday in a meaningful way.  O

What can be said about the calloused hand from a life time of hard work? This hand belonged to my grandpa who was a German immigrant to the United States shortly after the end of World War I. Times were tough in Germany and he embarked on a voyage to America in hopes of finding a better life.   A non-English speaker with only a second grade education, he was at the mercy of those he met. His path eventually took him to Kansas where he worked on a farm, met and married my grandma, and started a family.  Needless to say, they didn't have much. For shortly after arriving, the stock markets crashed and World War II began.   He worked long hours as a farmer and a heavy equipment operator to support his family.  Even though he had a job, things were scarce.  They had what they needed, but luxuries such as toys, new shoes, or new clothing was something unheard of.  Kids had to use their imagination and pretend.  Toys R Us was decades from opening and a welfare system did not exist.  I

“Always date your mate,” a wise woman whispered in my ear at my wedding 20 years ago.  The words she said as well as the timing of her advice struck me as bizarre at the time.  “Seriously? Who wouldn’t go out on dates with their husband,” I thought, dismissing the comment.   Twenty years later, that advice is so welcome and needed.    I heard myself recalling those words one Friday night last fall, as I headed one direction with a couple of kids to high school football game and my hubby took off with the other two in another direction.   I don’t even think we said hi as we met each other in the garage ready to zoom off in different directions.  When we finally got home that evening, it was late and we were exhausted.  We collapsed into bed and we were out in seconds. I don’t think we moved all night. I woke up in the morning reflecting on those words, “date your mate.”  When was our last date? Why did we quit dating?  The answer is easy.  The intensity of raising children, the demands