Someone asked me recently if I’d ever thought of becoming a teacher. The answer was a resounding “Yes!” I used to daydream about teaching first grade. I don’t know why that particular grade jumped out at me, because my teacher, Miss Crandall, was at least a hundred years old, with a sharp look that could make any student shiver and quake. I used to pray that she would get tired of teaching and retire.
Now I realize that she was probably only in her mid-forties. I will soon turn 59. Need I say more?
Life has a surprising way of shaping us. I never became a teacher, but I have taught children through my stories and books. I’ve planted seeds of friendship, too, and also enjoyed a bountiful harvest of what others have poured into my life. My grandfather was someone who encouraged me to use my gifts. At the time, I didn’t know what a gift meant, outside of birthdays and Christmas. Because he took time to exchange letters with me for many years, I learned to appreciate myself as someone unique.
My dad made me feel that I could become anything my heart set out to become, and when my first book came out, my mother wandered around a bookstore until she found a copy of it, then practically tackled the store manager to gush, “I gave birth to this author.” That’s love in its purest, zaniest form. When my husband’s job took us overseas, I met young friends to mentor, and older friends who in turn, mentored me. Each turn in the road has brought me face to face with somebody who shared something special with me, like white-haired Laura, who shared stories of traveling by covered wagon from Missouri to Texas as a twelve-year-old and taught me about perseverance.
Then and now. Now and then. The road from childhood to adulthood collides as I remember experiences, people, and places that have contributed to who I am today. I realize that my lifeprint is much different than yours, and by visiting your Squidoo lenses and blogs, I continue to learn and grow as a person.
I ran across an inspirational video that really grabbed my heartstrings. Based on a poem by Linda Ellis, it inspires me to use each and every day like a priceless gift, becauses that’s exactly what it is. Today felt like a good day to share The Dash Movie. Enjoy!
