Tag Archives: shining moments

When You Can’t See Anything

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Shining moments –

I know they are there..all around us if we look

But lately the cloudiness of our world- the news, and recent deaths and heartaches

more than the actual cloudiness of this day

block my ability to see shining moments.

I looked at the blank page longing to write something

to encourage another on life’s journey

but nothing, absolutely nothing came to mind.

I was tempted to give up

To wait for another day and time

but maybe this is when I need to write the most about shining moments.

Suddenly it came to me.

A voice from the other side of the room.

“Write about them.”

There was nothing when I looked around me

But suddenly I turned and glanced within

and saw a shining moment.

Yes, stored within is a treasure house of shining moments

All waiting to be remembered and enjoyed again.

Memories of childhood

That special teacher that encouraged me

That friend who shared special times in choir and band

The walks to school shuffling the newly fallen leaves

Saugerties, New York and Owego, New York

Places where my heart still wanders from time to time.

My first day teaching school and all the many students

that I’ve been privileged to teach

over the years.

That accident avoided

That glorious service and playing the organ with all the pipes opened.

In His Time

In His Time

He makes all things beautiful in His time.

Holding a six month old precious little baby girl on a Christmas Eve many years ago

and then wonder of wonders

holding another tiny two year old as we landed in the US on a cold February afternoon.

Puppy dogs and sunny canaries

Ice cream moments and precious times with Nana and Papa.

Family times and moments with friends.

Helping this one and praying together side by side.

Shining moments?

Yes, they are all within

Just waiting to be remembered, enjoyed and shared.

And how about you?

What moments brighten your cloudy day?

Look deep within – You might be surprised.

Walk In My Shoes

Nothing could have ever prepared me for that day.

No amount of teacher preparation courses or years of experience could have helped.

But on that day so many years ago when I saw my first grade student standing at the door

fidgeting with her dress, looking so small beside her mother

and with a big white patch over her eye

I knew that I had to do something.

Something to smooth the way for her to re-enter not only the class but life.

A tragic accident had suddenly left her without sight in one eye.

I cringe today so many years later remembering …..

My students and I had fixed a large box for her

filled with presents, notes and cards

but in that age long minute while she stood

looking at everyone

while everyone stared back at her

I sensed the great need to provide a healing bridge.

I walked over to her and spoke a few words

I watched as her mother left and wondered.

Would it be alright?

Would this nightmare begin to turn around?

I led her to her seat and all the boys and girls waited

and watched.

As I moved back to my desk all of a sudden I knew what we needed to do.

Walk in my shoes-

See life through my eyes –

Thoughts that were printed on my heart from years earlier.

Others never know

until they begin to see life through your eyes.

“Boys and girls, we are all thrilled that Ellen (not her real name) is back with us

and so we are going to do something different today.”

I picked up a piece of white paper and folded it into a square.

All eyes followed me as I taped the paper over my one eye.

Suddenly my vision was sharply diminished.

I couldn’t see on one side at all without turning my head.

Teach all day?

But then I glanced back at my student and knew that I had to do something.

While this precious child watched, all her classmates made and taped on a white patch.

Our room was transformed into a classroom of students and a teacher all wearing a patch over one eye.

What a sight!

Nervous giggles could be heard.

“I can’t see very good

Ugh, this is hard

Wow, how long are we going to HAVE to wear this?”

First graders are so real – so honest.

Well, we wore our patches that whole day adjusting ourselves to the limitations of only having one eye.

I will never forget it.

Walk in my shoes

See life through my eyes!

Do you know someone who is different

a struggler on life’s journey? An elderly person who just can’t go fast.

A young child with legs that don’t reach.

Build a bridge of understanding – it’s so important that we begin to understand, my friends.

You will not only touch their life

But in the process you’ll also change your own.

And together we will light this world

making shining moments to be remembered for years and years.

That Unforgettable Red Hat

There was no question about it –

Mother’s Day was a day to celebrate our mother.

And back then it meant walking to the local 5 & 10 store to buy the perfect gift.

I will never forget that year when I was eight and my brother ten.

We talked together in whispered voices in our room

and counted out change –

dumping out all the pennies, nickels and dimes onto our bed from our money jars

our savings from weeks and weeks of quarter allowances.

That year it hardly seemed enough

but it was all we had.

And if we put our money together we thought we just might be able to buy something really nice.

That particular day as we walked back and forth in the aisles of the store

we saw nothing that caught our eyes. Absolutely nothing!

Jewelry, purses, delicate figurines of birds, etc –

Nothing was quite good enough

for our one –in–a-million mom.

I was just turning to leave when my eyes fell on a red hat.

It was beautiful as it perched on the holder for all to see.

I reached over and tugged at my brother’s sleeve

and pointed.

“That’s it,” he said looking at me with excitement.

But almost at the same time we wondered.

Would we possibly have enough money to buy it? It was so pretty —

He glanced up at the carefully tucked under price tag

and pulled it out to see the cost.

I immediately knew that it would be close and wondered if we had enough to buy such a beautiful gift.

We pulled out our bag filled with all our savings.

“We’ve got it,” my brother doing some mental figuring and my heart jumped for joy.

I could just imagine our Mom wearing this gorgeous red hat.

“Can I help you?” a voice from behind us asked.

I turned and looked up at this very tall, straight faced woman.

“We’d like to buy this hat..for our mother.”

She reached over and took the hat off its stand

and began walking towards the checkout.

My brother and I followed closely behind her.

There at the counter we counted out our pile of change.

Yes, all those pennies and nickels and dimes

and surprisingly we had enough. My brother was right!

Just enough to buy the best Mother’s Day gift in the world.

Yes, I can still see us walking, practically skipping home that day.

And I can still remember my mom’s smiling face

when she opened that box and took out that hat.

Sometimes words don’t even have to be spoken.

We knew,

my brother and I,

that she liked it.

Well the years have come and gone

I have no idea whatever happened to that hat

but the memory of that time will stay with me forever.

If hats are worn in heaven she is proudly wearing that red one today.