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Brain Tumor

It was the Monday after Thanksgiving two years ago.   I was sitting at my desk at school.   The students had just been dismissed and left the building, thank the Lord!      I was exhausted and so happy the day was over.   The days leading up to a school break and after the break are crazy.   Right now I’m looking out my window watching the wind scatter leaves all over the backyard.   It reminds me of what it’s like after a school break, teachers chasing kids all over the classroom.    Just when you think, you have some of the kids settling down to start a lesson, here comes another gust of wind and it starts all over again. Don’t get me wrong, teachers enjoy the breaks, but they do pay a high price for them too. So I’m at my desk and my phone rings.   It was the neurologist. It was the weirdest conversation. He asked, “Is this Michele?”   I said, “Yes.”   He asked me where I was. I answered at school in my classroom.   He asked if there was anyone with me.   No, I was by myself
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Thanksgiving

I had plans to get into the Thanksgiving spirit with so much food and thanks that I wouldn’t have time for an emotional breakdown.  I dodged the tears last night when we pulled into his parents driveway.  We get to see his parents but not mine.  I was able to bite back tears and enjoy the hugs and warm welcomes from family.  So this Thanksgiving morning for the last half hour,  there’s been no stopping the tears.  I’ve been in the bedroom crying my eyes out missing her so much.  Then twirl came into mind, but I don’t want to.  I’ll just sit here and cry, thank you.  Then guilt nudged me up and I twirled.  I’m not sure there was any joy in my twirl. Then I started imagining Mom in heaven singing praises, joyfully twirling, and giving thanks to God.  It occurred to me.  We are celebrating Thanksgiving today, but in heaven it’s Thanksgiving every day.  Life gets in the way for most of us with the exception of Janice LaCount.  God love her,  This might become my favorite holiday, Happy
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Dream of Mom

Last night while reading a blog, l was thinking of Mom.   In the post, this woman had a grade 4 glioblastoma brain tumor. She didn’t have much time left.   She wrote a note that asked her family to post after she passed.   It talked about not enduring life but enjoying every second.   Choose to be happy, grateful and live in the moment.   Mom had a way that even though she was surrounded by unhappiness and negativity.   She chose to keep her spirit high and live full of optimism.   Not to say she didn’t have bad days, who doesn’t? However, she chose to live above her circumstances.   Talk about some strength. Most days I feel happy when I think of her but yesterday I felt sadness.   I wish she didn’t have to fight so hard for something that should have been simple like enjoying life with your loved ones.   She did remove herself from toxic relationships towards the end of her life.   Why couldn’t she do it earlier?   She truly believed she could change the person she loved so
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Tutoring Moments

There's been so many blogable moments at home and work lately. Right now, I've got an after-school program going in town. There are over 100 students attending at an elementary school. Before Spring Break, I was called to the Kindergarten classroom. Let me just say, God Bless Kindergarten teachers! I don't know how they do it. This student was drawing on the walls and running around the room totally out of control. Once in the hallway, the teacher was giving me all the gory details as he went to his locker, threw everything out, stomped in and shut the door. The teacher said, "Well at least he's contained" and went back into her room. There I am in the hallway, 10 minutes before tutoring is over, trying to coax a stubborn 5 year old from his locker. Knowing he had the upper hand, he refused to budge from his locker and wasn't scared to tell me in so many Kindergarten words! I called his mama and held the phone to his ear. I couldn't believe it. The onl
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One Wish

I've drove over 1000 miles this week. Today, I drove through a flat-out downpour of rain. Last week, I drove through the night to make it home for Friday morning assembly at my kid's school. Baby Girl's class led the assembly and she really wanted me there. With all this driving, I have plenty of time to think, too much really. I've always been scared to talk much about dying. I guess because the whole "guard your tongue" message and if you give an inch mentality. But last week on the way home I thought, people die every day. They don't plan it. They don't wake up one day and say, "I think I'll have a stroke or fatal car wreck today, but it happens. So, what if I don't make it home one day? Will my kids be okay, will they know how I felt, do they know what I want for them? Little Man doesn't want me to leave him to go to Walmart much less out of town on business. He always drills me . . . do you have to leave, why? When will you be bac
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Hair In Your Drawers

I met up with Janice and friends at Hooter's in Little Rock last week. I had a blast catching up and listening to their stories of old Pentecostal days. I've got to make this post quick so I'll share my favorite story told that night. Jodie says an evangelist came to our little church on the west side fired up over the women in the congregations hairdo's. Obviously, Pentecostal women are forbidden to cut their hair. I remember Mom having REALLY long hair. She used balls of hair she called fillers to make her hair look fuller and stand higher on her head, the higher the better. Anyway, the evangelist must have thought the hair fillers as worldly because standing at the pulpit he preached, "I'll Tell You . . . Most of You Women Have More Hair in Your Drawers Than You Do On Your Head!" I about coughed up a lung laughing so hard over that one. Mom says she remembers being in that service, I wish I did. On a more serious note, another favorite was told by a fri
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A Little Breezy

I'm cold, turned on the heater in my hotel room and set the fire alarm off. No worries, the fire department is just across the road. Mom and I stayed here a couple of years ago and heard sirens all night long. I came prepared this time with ear plugs but hubby let me know I forgot my toothbrush. That ain't nothing, I forgot underwear and a bra.
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