Mayan Riviera

It's that time of year again. (See last years post, at this time, when we earned a trip to Florida.) Each year, around this time, Hubby and I take a trip with the company he works for. Trips are earned according to the dollar value of the homes he built, for that year. We are blessed this year to be able to take 4 other employees, as well as, our son Ben (the preacher man) and his wife Jenny.

The Moon Place Resort, along the Mayan Rivera in Mexico, will be our destination this year. I hope to bring back lots of photos, precious memories, and a rested body! I will not be blogging for at least a week but I do plan to get back to the Black and White posts, as soon as possible. Blessings to you all! Please pray for safe travels.

Black and White #2

(This is post #2 about my friendship with Nita (not her real name), a former student that ended up being my Kindergarten assistant for 20 years. Please see the previous 2 posts for more on this interesting friendship. This photo is a "borrowed" picture ,which doesn't accurately depict the two of us, because I am 10 years older than Nita, however it does show the love that two individuals can share- regardless of the color of their skin.) Nita attended an all black school when she started to school. She was delighted when desegragation became law because her new teachers were more gentle and kind than the teachers from the all black school. She vividly remembers stern teachers that administered corporal punishment liberally. There was fear and intimidation which wasn't an ideal environment for learning. Nita was excited, as well as enthusiastic, about attending a new school and wasn't disappointed. She loved school, did her very best at each task, and was successful. As a student in my classroom, she was always talking and of course that led to being called down- many times- but the talking never interefered with her ability to get her work done. Actually, this ability to communicate with others- is one of her strongest qualities to this day. She has never met a stranger and that is a blessing indeed! (Post #3 will come soon, as time permits , so please come back for more about this unique friend of mine.)

Black and White

Having a black teaching assistant for over 20 years (see my previous post), enriched my knowledge and appreciation for the African American culture. I am a better person for having spent all of these years with such an extraordinary friend.

Experiencing this beautiful world that God created is a colorful journey for me. But growing up... I drank from a different water fountain than black children and used a different bathroom from black children. I never touched a black child, sat by a black child, or even talked to a black child... until I was a freshman in high school. Even then, there were less than 10 black children in my entire high school, so my exposure was limited. That was the color of my world until 1966. I thank God that things changed or I would never have experienced the colorful world that was opened to me, through the eyes of my dear black friend. I don't see things in black and white... and that is a blessing indeed!

(I plan to create several posts about the extraordinary experiences of working with this dear black lady, so please come back for more in the days to come. I felt this was an appropriate way to honor her birthday which was on February 6th and to celebrate Black History Month.)

Friends Forever

This is me, chatting with a dear friend, at Katherine's wedding this past summer. I met her 34 years ago. It was my second year of teaching and she was a dedicated student in my class. Many years later, she became my classroom assistant. For more than 20 years, she worked faithfully by my side bringing so much love, laughter and joy into our classroom. We were a team, dedicated to making a difference in the lives of children. Now that I am retired, she remains in the classroom but no longer as an assistant- she is a student teacher and will complete the requirements for her teaching certification this spring. I proudly watched her every step of the way, encouraging her, knowing all along that she would make an excellent teacher. I am blessed to have her for a friend and to witness first hand, her dream come true.