A Teacher's Tale

     The morning sunshine glittered through the leaves as we – finally – erected our Little Free Library in our front yard today. Jeanette obtained this little gem several years ago from a colleague in the Parkview School System. Much of the fun came next as we searched for books to fill the Little Library. (When’s the last time you went through your collection of books?!) While I was busy deciding which of my favorites I wanted to include, Jeanette came up to me and quietly said, “Can I read you this story?”  Over our 37-year marriage, I have learned that when Jeanette wants to share a story, it is important. Almost always, it is a story she has shared with her students when she was teaching, and it reveals a truth about the world that everyone should hear. Seeing that this is Teacher Appreciation Week, I share this experience as a tribute to all my friends and colleagues who strive each day to help kids become the people they hope to be.

      Thank You, Mr. Falker is the book Jeanette read. The first page describes a scene where Grandpa dizzles honey on the cover of a small book and tells his five-year-old granddaughter Trisha to “Taste”. When she says it’s “Sweet”, her whole family in unison says, “Yes, and so is knowledge, but knowledge is like the bee that made that sweet honey, you have to chase it through the pages of a book.”

     The remainder of the story reveals that this little girl struggles with the traditional approach to teaching reading. When her family moves to another state, she is lost. She is ridiculed by her classmates and finds it hard to even go to school. And then, and then…. she meets her new teacher, Mr. Falker.

      The rest of the story has Mr. Falker recognizing Trisha’s unique learning style and helping her find joy in reading and learning. The story ends with her dripping honey on the cover of her grandpa’s book and repeating the quote from the start. (I urge you to get the book and read it!) I will admit I was reduced to tears at several points in the story. Once again, I understand why Jeanette has former kindergarten students inviting her to their high school graduations.

     And to all my teacher friends and colleagues, I hope you realize your work is more important now than ever. I won’t pretend to understand the challenges you face in schools today, but I hope the joy that comes from seeing your students succeed will carry you through.

     By the way, Thank You, Mr. Falker is the autobiographical tale of the author Patricia Polacco. The book is dedicated: To George Felker, the real Mr. Falker. You will forever be my hero.  She autographed Jeanette’s copy and wrote, “To the Lovely Daughters”

Enjoy the rest of the year!

 

        

Another Spring

I got up early this morning and when I looked out the window, I was reminded of this brief note I wrote a while ago.

“The mist in the air moves in slow motion over the yard as the dawn breaks. As John Steinbeck suggested, it is the “hour of the pearl”. The magical moment before the sun rises and time seems to pause. Every hunter, fisher, or early rising hiker knows the moment. My favorite “pearl hours” come in the fall. Surrounded by duck decoys with Emma at my feet, I can recall countless sunrises completely immersed in the moment. The fragrance of swamp water and wet dog. The whistle of duck wings and slapping water. The surreal images of cattails against the morning sky. I am fully convinced it is this experience of being in the moment that keeps so many of us wandering off into the wilderness. I grew up in a family that made art and music a daily part of our lives. Not for any other purpose but pleasure. My dad’s old-fashioned music and my mom’s handmade decorations were intended to enrich our everyday lives. They also understood, better than most, how important it was to see beauty in little things. Of course, they would never lecture anybody about how to live their lives – children excepted. Each person chooses their way. Yet they showed us how to live in the moment. When my dad took a handful of cut hay and brought it to his face to smell, he did not know that a half century later I would be staring at the trees recalling that sweet summer morning and the smell of alfalfa.”

It reminded me that reflection is comforting and valuable. This has been a hectic year for us. Weddings, moving, elections. All the necessary things that needed doing were a distraction. Couple that with the daily insanity of our current affairs, it has been a challenge to find moments of solace. Thankfully, spring is coming to Wisconsin.

I am once again watching the world come to life as the sun rises. The robins are hard at work building their nest on top of our yard light. The family of squirrels that became homeless when we cut down their tree found a new hollow nearby. The new flowers and shrubs Jeanette planted around the yard are patiently making their entrance. Nature has been generous helping me find amazement in my surroundings once again. David Mallet in his song “Moon Upon the Left” says, “There’s a moon upon the left, there’s a star upon the right, there’s a nightingale singing to the wondrous summer night.”  These moments can help us focus on the simple beauty of our lives. “There’s no past, and there’s no future, only now.” I hope Spring inspires you to feel content.