Totally grateful

time

In the Wisdom Class on Tuesday, an older woman talked about what she used to ask high school students when she was a substitute teacher (and admittedly an "excellent" one): "What do you all have in common?"

She surprised me (and probably those kids) by saying that each person is given the same amount of time each day; it is what one does with it that shapes the person.

Tonight I am so aware of this after reading Katherine's post for today, with her wish to "teach from her heart." How she does this with her life, her ministry, and her writing.

teaching

I trained to be an elementary school teacher, which was the only goal I had growing up. I loved teaching, but gave it up when I had children and experienced TX schools. (That sounds like a gross rationalization, but my experience was stifling.)

Through a fluke, I became an adult Sunday School teacher in 1995. Back then (when I was depressed and extremely under confident) I hesitatingly suggested a class based on Richard Foster's book on prayer, and someone said I should do it--that a shock! Then another man said he would teach it with me, so it was decided. This was a transforming moment in that I researched my talks as I later would write papers in seminary; I amazed everyone and myself, even though I was shaking as I talked.

I am grateful that my love of teaching returned and has endured concerning spirituality and spiritual formation with adults.

trees

I love trees, probably because Washington State is where I went to high school and college and where my parents settled after the Marine Corps. More trees determined that CB and I chose to live in older sections of Corpus Christi, rather than the new developments. After three different moves here, we remain in the same area.

thank you

I appreciate the expression of gratitude. I remember my children learning to say "thank you" and I am happy still when I hear them expressing it.

thank you notes

I really like to write and receive thank you notes. It was important in our family to write such notes after Christmas and birthdays. On Christmas Day, I always made a chart for the six of us (four children and two parents) to check off when a thank you note was written to the friend or relative who had sent a gift. Since we lived so far away from our families in Washington State, it was a good thing for us all to write back to them in thanks. I always told the kids that a good thank you note had at least three sentences:

1. thank you for the gift
2. something you like about the present
3. something interesting in your life

Through the years, people have complimented me on my children's thank you notes. I can see that they write better ones than most people do!