This question makes me smile as I think about Mrs. Baker the woman that noticed me and gave me a kind word, a smile or money to buy some lunch. Mrs Baker was our school Librarian. She has CP and kids often made fun of her. I loved this woman so much and would spend hours in the library. I don’t know if she knew about my home life but she sent me home on all the holidays with lots of books.
I won the award in the school for reading the most books. I could escape my horrible life reading all the adventures and dreaming that one day I could leave the home that I lived in. When I was an adult I looked her up and I thanked her for saving me from the hell of childhood.
She told me that she knew something was wrong but had no idea what it was. I told her how all that reading helped me become the woman I am today. A year later she died.
That is why I reach out to those who need extra love and care at school because all these years later I never forgot that. I’m blessed to having had her in my life. She was an amazing woman. ❤️
I work at an elementary school in my hometown. Today I realized I’m at school for more than just being in the classes I’m in. I saw an incident this morning with a child and their parent. As I listened to what was happening, it brought me back to being that kid and feeling horrible because of how my parent made me feel. I watched the interaction as I was parking my car. I could hear raised voices by the dad. I saw the girl that I have gotten to know well feel absolutely horrible. I walked into my classroom put down my things and went outside to where the child was standing. I bent down to her and she didn’t want me near her. I respected that. I asked her if she could help me in my classroom and she took my hand and came inside. She sat in a chair for about 10 minutes and never said a word to me.
I chatted to her and she was in my kindergarten class last year in this same classroom. Then she started talking to me. We have a breakfast program at our school and I asked her if she had, had breakfast. She said no and I asked her what she liked to eat. So I asked her can we go down to the breakfast program together. She liked that. She then showed me where her cubby used to be and we talked about her in kindergarten. I took her to get some breakfast and I told her if you need me for anything that I’m here for you. I asked her if she wanted a hug. She gave me the biggest hug.
I went and talked to her teacher about what had happened and I know she was very appreciative that I had spent time with the child. This is a child who often comes and gives me hugs. I was glad that even though it was hard to watch that I was there for her. It’s hard when I remember feeling the exact same way that feeling that you are nothing, your no good and being yelled at for reason makes you feel.
Some of the hardest kids at school I have an amazing trust with them. I advocate for all children especially those who stand out from all the others because of their home life or kids picking on them. It’s never ok to be treated like that.
Then in the afternoon another child who when she broke her arm I used to hang out with her at recess. She adores me so much and when her teacher can’t get her to do things I can. Her teacher came to me today and asked me to intervene. I found her wrapped up in her sweatshirt and when I told her it was me. She unwrapped herself and we chatted and then I took her down to music. She told me I don’t see you much and I loved coloring with you. I talked to her teacher and told her that if she does all her work then I would come and color with her. She thought it was a good idea.
I realized that my role at school is huge and that I can be that comfort to those children that need more. Maybe it’s because I’ve been there and I understand. For me at school I sought out people I could trust. It made me feel like I was loved and cared for so much. Even though it hits my heart hard I’m so glad that I’m there at the school. I will continue to be that person that children need. ❤️
I never had children of my own. I got to know my husband’s children and of course fell in love with each of them. They are two years apart and there are 3 of them. I didn’t know them long in my life before they moved away from my husband.
We never forget about them even though they didn’t grow up with us. We celebrated their birthdays and thought about them in every holiday we had. We hoped that when they grew up that they would choose to come and find their dad.
The two girls have seen us and hung out with both of us and it’s been an honor to get to know them. They grew into amazing adults. I’m reminded that because of what we go through in life makes you into the person you are today. Yes that’s exactly true. Even though it is hard. The oldest I’ve heard from a few times. I send birthday and Christmas messages to him.
Even though I didn’t see them my heart is still huge for them and I’m so proud of who they have become. Last year the oldest got married and recently they had the birth of their first child. Children as we know change us and no matter what and where we have come from we can change our pasts into what the future will bring. I love that.
You don’t ever realize the impact your life can be on someone when you encourage them. I’m blessed that I have two of the children in my life. I’m excited to see where they are in their lives and what they continue to do.
You don’t have to give birth to children for you to love them. I never have stopped praying and loving them no matter where they are. For that I’m eternally grateful.
What is your middle name? Does it carry any special meaning/significance?
My middle name is Ross. I had no idea that when I moved to Canada that people all had different middle names.
It’s a family name and every sibling in our family has the same name. It’s attached to my dad and his family. I didn’t remember what the history is behind it.
Some of my favorite people live in the high desert in Oregon. One of them is one of my good friends. She’s a lady that I admire so much. She’s got the most amazing stories of things that have happened to her in her life. She has the most amazing faith and what God has done in her life. She’s also an author of many books and her, and her husband own a ranch that rescues horses and teams them up with kids.
Here is the link to Crystal Peaks Young Ranch. It’s my home away from home.
Some of you know that I had a horrible childhood. In fact it was horrendous. When I was locked in my bedroom I used to dream of having a dad that I could love and that he would love me back no matter what. A dad who cares about me and protected so that I wouldn’t get hurt like I had been, as a child and would do absolutely anything for me. That dream seemed so far away in fact impossible.
When I moved from Ireland to Canada as a teenager, I met my mom and my step dad. He accepted my brother and I and everything we had been through. Our lives were not easy but he gave me that love that I had dreamed of. He was my role model, he protected me and he helped me be the woman I am today. My greatest gift was Love. ❤️
It’s been 9 weeks since my dad passed away. In some ways it feels like so much longer. The last time I saw him was December 8th for a Christmas lunch at the care home where he was. A week later he passed away. He didn’t look good when I last saw him and he was fading. He woke up for about 15 minutes that afternoon and seemed very confused. I hope that when I kissed him on his forehead and told him that I loved him, that he knew I was there. That was the last time I saw him.
Grief is hard but something that I must go through. I used to think that feeling would kill me. When I had numbed life before. Now grief hurts but what I’ve have noticed from it, is it produces lots of good memories. I was with my mom yesterday we talked about my dad and grief. I wish I could just hug my dad one more time. He gave the best hugs.
A friend gave me this chocolate bear for Valentine’s Day and when I took it out of the box, tears rolled down my face. My dad had a bear like this and the next size up one. My mom gave them to him. His nickname for my mom was Bear. He would never eat them in fact for up to a year or so they were on the table light right beside where he ate his meals. They faced him on the lamp and when you’d all him if he wanted to eat them. He’d tell you no they were his buddies.
So much of what my dad taught me I have remembered. He taught me so many things that I can take into my life forever. Buying my first car he hid his car around the corner because of they knew him and his wife both had Toyota’s, I wouldn’t get a good price. This was my car not theirs. Yup it worked. He told me that if we had to leave that I needed to follow his lead no matter how I felt.
One time driving home in hit a deer in one is the dark roads near my house. I was mortified and drove home. It pulled off the plastic piece on my car so the next day my dad took out the deer fur and crazy glued it back together. He often crazy glued things back together or used his duct tape.
He was a wise man he helped me with many things. If I had a problem he always knew how to help me with it. Sometimes I didn’t like his answer but I saw that it made total sense. He was a problem solver and he protected me. As I said before he loved me so much and I him. I miss him very much. I hope that my memories of him never fade. Until we meet again. ❤️
Are you patriotic? What does being patriotic mean to you?
This question made me ponder and stop and think. I love my country yes and celebrate our days etc. Recently I’ve thought more about it, especially when Trump wanted Canada to become the 51st State. That would mean we would lose our country. Canada is a great country to live in and so yes I have become patriotic the last month or so. Canadians have band together so that we stay together and that when things come at us that we fight together. 🇨🇦
Are there any activities or hobbies you’ve outgrown or lost interest in over time?
I used to scrapbook and make beautiful albums for people. My favorite scrapbook was for my in laws 50th wedding anniversary. I interviewed their siblings and gathered photos to put in the album. It was beautiful and I worked on it for a long time. It was good to scrapbook and there used to be stores to get your products but as time went on everything became online. It also was an expensive hobby.
I also used to breed rabbits with my best friend and go to rabbit shows. She’s since then passed away and after Covid rabbit shows seen to disappear. I loved breeding rabbits and it was so fun to watch the babies grow up and go to New homes.
I used to rubber stamp and make beautiful cards but that is all fine now. It’s all in the past. I do other artsy things now.
My first computer was when I was in high school. I was supposed to type my papers for school. It was small with those big grey frames around them. When I needed to print something we had those printers that had the perforated hole edges. The paper that seemed to go on forever.
My computer I could play a game on it. It was a game with a bar and a ball and you had to bounce it around your screen and it would go faster and faster.
Wow from that computer to where we are today is amazing.
Beauty from Ashes. 