Well, this month, I took them up on a fun opportunity to share some of my letter-writing with you, my dear readers! I love personal, hand-written notes and have some very fond memories of writing to my grandmother through my childhood, and my now husband through high-school and college. Because I feel that the handwritten notes will never go out of style, my children and I often make "letters" to send to their grandparents, aunts, and uncles. So, I was very excited to accept the pen to paper challenge, which consists of me writing a hand-written note once a week for four weeks and sharing my experiences with you! And oh yeah, I have the opportunity to win a $50 gift certificate to Pear Tree Greetings!
So, who to write to this week? Imagine me waving my hands saying, "doodle oooh, doodle ooooh, doodle oooh a la Wayne's World.....
I recently received an alumni magazine from my high school sometime in June. As I was thumbing through it to see who got married, who has had children, whose parents donate enough money to put in life size pictures of their alumni's second neice, etc. I saw the pictures from the graduating class of 2010. As I read the caption, I noticed a familiar name....hmmm....where had I seen this name before. Suddenly a flood of emotions came over me and I had a very special song in my head. Moon River. And so, when my note cards arrived I put my pen to the paper, and accepted the challenge.
You see, a whole lifetime ago, a little over a year ago, I was a teacher and not a stay-at-home mom. I love teaching, and before I had children I devoted my life to other peoples' children and spent literally 60-70 hours a week on school work. This devotion started in the Fall of 2004, with my student-teaching mentor Mrs. S. Mrs. S loved teaching. You could tell by they way her classroom smelled of soap and pencil shavings that she was a good teacher. She was soft and yet stern, and had an affinity for Andy Williams. When I first met her, I made the mistake of thinking that the framed picture on her desk of her hugging an older man was perhaps an anniversary picture, but no....it was her beloved Andy Williams. I recall even making her a CD of 12 different artists' remakes of Moon River, but I made sure to include Andy's at the end.
Mrs. S had one daughter, Anna. She prayed and prayed for Anna, and waited a very long time to finally become a mother. I truly believe that she loves this sweet child more than any mother has loved a daughter. And so, when I knew Mrs. S, Anna was in middle school.
Well, as I flipped through this alumni magazine I saw her. It was Anna, all grown up. The valedictorian of her graduating class, with a 4.0 and scholarships to every Catholic University I have ever heard of. I knew that Mrs. S had to have been bawling her eyes out at graduation, immensely proud of her angel. And so, though I haven't spoken to Mrs. S since I graduated in December of 2004, I knew that she was going to be the first recipient of my letter for the pen to paper challenge.
As I sat down to write, it felt as if I was talking to my best friend again. Her and I always got along because we both loved to work, and I have always been an old soul. I shared with her my life, and congratulated her on being such a good mother. I sent blessings for her family and offered to come see her the next time I was in town. I ended the note with, "I hope you can celebrate Anna's life with one last trip to Branson before Anna drifts down her own moon river to find the rainbow's end". I can see her smiling now.
That is so beautiful Rachel! You got me thinking I'm pregnant again because you got me all teary!
ReplyDeleteHow sweet! I bet she'll be thrilled that you remember her!
ReplyDelete