Where are you when we need you? Mom's baking a batch of snickerdoodle cookies. Seems like those were one of your favorites.
Been thinking about your anniversary request. I'm sure Mom is going to respond, but several thoughts have passed through my mind this week as the subject came back to mind.
I keep recalling the picture from kindergarten or first grade, where you sort of looked like a deer caught in the headlights, with a short haircut and a lock sort of sticking out to the side. That was one of my favorites. You were a sweet kid.
You presented somewhat of a dichotomy. On the one hand, your brother could tell you to do something, like sitting and hiding from Mom for long periods of time, and you would do it to a T, not letting out a peep. On the other hand, you would clearly dissect a situation, select the best option for you and resolutely stick to your guns. However, you always seemed respectful of others, especially those in positions of responsibility.
One of the favorites memories I have of your childhood relates to Al Widner. Having Mark as your older brother, I was accustomed to having teachers and principals wanting to talk to me about one of my children. But, when Mr Widner said he wanted to talk to me, Mark had already graduated and you had completed your freshman year. Since you had never been one to get into problems at school, I didn't know what to expect.
Al proceeded to relate how you had taught him an invaluable lesson as a new administrator that year. In the 8th grade, Mrs Haughey had let Karen Peterson and you work at your own pace, getting quite a ways ahead of your classmates in math. As a result, by the end of the 8th grade, you had nearly completed 9th grade Algebra. At the start of the 9th grade, you petitioned Mr Widner to allow you to skip Algebra, going on to other subjects. Since it was a state requirement of all students, he declined, even though you offered to take the final Algebra exam to demonstrate your knowledge of the subject.
You accepted his decision and took the class; however, at the end of the year, you returned to his office and told him that, even though you had "aced" the class, it had been a "bummer" and that he had cost you one year in your life (a little melodramatic) which you could have better used on something else. You urged him to give greater consideration to any similar, future requests which he might receive from other students. Because of the way that you had handled the situation and conducted yourself, his perspective was changed and he wanted me to know what an impact this had had upon him.
You had a great amount of success in your youth with virtually everything you chose to do. One underlying factor was your ability to determine your potential proficiency and to drop those things that you didn't feel you would do well. I didn't disrespect that, but really gained respect for you as a person when you took up cross country running and stayed with it for 6 years, even though you were not the best and seldom even counted as one of the first four runners. Your grit and determination were admirable.
We thank God for leading you & Jeff together. You seem to be great counterparts for each other. May the next 10 years bring as much blessing and happiness as the first 10 years of your marriage.