LIFE IN BLOOM

Learning How to Flourish in God's Grace

Author Archives: erin.almond


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In Loving Memory

She would have been 91 years old this year.

It’s crazy how vivid some memories are, even after her passing away nearly 14 years ago.  She loved purple.  Anything that she cooked was amazing.  Seriously.  If you wanted me to eat something as a kid, all you had to do was tell me that Granny made it.  There was the cake squares (such a wonderful afternoon snack), and the salmon patties (she told me they were hamburgers), and the cornbread (made like pancakes, in a skillet).

She loved flowers.  All kinds of flowers.  There were rose bushes.  Hydrangeas.  Lilies.  I’ve never seen someone care for flowers in such a way.

There were only two things that she loved more than flowers: God and family.  She took care of each us in the most unique and special way.

She left such an amazing legacy.  Part of the reason that I love spending time with my family is that you’re able to see traces of her in each of her children.  Her love for God.  Her love for flowers.  Amazing cooks.  Resilience and strength.  A family that has endured much, but is still bound together by her love.

I hope I make her proud.

Happy Birthday, Granny.  We love you, and even nearly 14 years later, we still miss you and think about you every day.

 


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Unspeakable Joy

When working with teenagers, a lot of your day can have intense and extreme emotions.  Extreme frustration.  Extreme delight.  Extreme anger.  Extreme sadness.  As they go through these emotions, sometimes I do too.  Sometimes their actions push me to THAT point; other times, things that happen to them allow me to feel a certain way.  Nevertheless, it is a constant emotional cycle.

I’m not sure if I’ve done enough to explain the joy that working with students can bring, and partially because it’s difficult for me to find the words.  For example:

  • How do you find the words to describe the feeling you get when you watch a student overcome their fear and stretch themselves to conquer something that has previously terrified them?
  • Or what words are there to describe the feeling you have when a student who has repeated grades, runs to show you his report card- and you see that he not only has grown 21 points in one class since the last quarter, but he’s also earned Honor Roll?
  • Even still, how do you describe the feeling when your seniors tell you that after years of dreaming and working, they’ve been accepted into their top choice college?

I don’t always do a good job of articulating the sheer joy and delight that working with students can bring.  The 3 moments that I described above are very real- and I experienced them all over this past week.  It’s safe to say that working with students creates moments of unspeakable joy, and I’m very blessed that they have allowed me to be a part of their lives.

Unspeakable joy.

Until next time…