Family Time

It was a good day for family. We met with my niece and her 13 year-old daughter, then on to view niece's DH's classroom. There were many observations to make during this time.

Niece has grown into a lovely young woman and very competemt teacher. She is excited about her job which challenges her and empowers growth. She was prepared to teach 6th graders, but was quite surprised when the principal asked her to teach digital photography in addition to her other subjects. She is rising to the occasion.

Uncle Dan's wife, M.E., maintains the center of the whirlwind around her. She is a writer, well-disciplined and focused. We have lengthy discussions on the subject of writing and its nuances. Her latest book is Science Fast Facts

Uncle Dan and M.E.'s GD, C8, has matured into a lively young teenager while retaining a touch of happy childhood. She bounces around like Tigger, hugging & chatting, cajoling and promising, while discussing her studies, chess club, and sports. I wish we could bottle her energy and enthusiasm.

In the midst of this group of women, Uncle Dan maintains his vigil and offers his counsel. While M.E. and I were shopping in different parts of the department store today, Uncle Dan drifted back and forth keeping us both in sight until he had finally herded us into a small line. He remained at the rear, moving us toward the check-out register, much as a shepherd maneuvers his sheep.

We met with one more family member, much to my delight, niece's DH. Rick is a personable addition to the family with a penchant for looking at things from different viewpoints and challenging others to do the same. He is teaching Language Arts to 7th graders this year and his classroom is embued with the same vitality as his personality and his outlook on life. It is not just "poetry", it is looking at the words from another point of view, examining why you have this point of view, questioning what can be derived from the exercise, and putting it all into context in another exercise. THEN, put all the information into perspective in your life! How I wish I had had such a teacher in my life.

We all have family members with lessons to share. It is up to us to explore people's attitudes, accept the good from them, support and them on their journey, and live life to the best of our abilities.