Glimpses of Success
In the last post, I showed Lee’s work on putting sealant on the deck. After the sealant, we had to go to Home Depot to buy a cover (to cover the white deck). I call it a cover because I don’t want to say: fake grass. I hate fake grass – not because it is fake but because it is made of plastic and I don’t care for plastic. Home Depot had several choices and I picked the most expensive not because it was the most expensive but because it was the only fake grass that wasn’t deep dark green. The one I picked is the same colors as our grapevine and the leaves of other plants on the deck. The employee at Home Depot warns us that it is expensive and that we could pick another one that is a terrible shade of green. We tell her that we want this one because it has an eight year warranty.
No one had brought this type of fake grass all year and the Home Depot employee had to unwrap the carpet roll. While we are waiting, I looked around and a young woman walking toward me started to smile. I recognized her immediately even though she graduated 10 years ago. She looked the same, but more grown up. (I will refer to her as she repeatedly as I don’t want to use her name on my blog). She was one of the students I worried about the most in all my years teaching. She didn’t have an easy childhood and the years that followed her graduation weren’t easy on her either. She had to grow up fast. She was a good student and I always enjoyed talking to her. I hadn’t been in contact with her in many years.
She hugged me and I asked her how she was. She was all grown up and was anxious to tell me about her life. She was doing well and I felt so proud. She was at Home Depot purchasing items for her first apartment by herself. She started to tel me about a past mistake of sharing an apartment and I stopped her and reminded her she wouldn’t be in Home Depot shopping for her own place if she didn’t first move out with friends. She smiled and told me about her plans for the future. And this teacher was so grateful to have a glimpse of her life and success. (Written at 3:07 am and not edited – sorry I am too tired).
Hugs,
marlene
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