Bittersweet days

Much of the talk around and in the pool, and around the lunch table on Sunday, is about the pending return to school for the teachers and students. My friends who are teachers are excited about getting their rooms set up (Judy's teacher-daughter having had to change classrooms at her school) and being ready for the first day. For our county, that day is tomorrow. The neighboring counties and St. Johns CDS, it's next week Monday. 

I heard one of the moms mention the summer reading her son had to do, including the book called "The Last Lecture". I had had that book in my collection for a couple years, loaned to me by Jackie at church, but I never read it. In the last month I returned it to her, and now kick myself for not reading it. I did, however, watch the lecture upon which the book is based. 

What I took away from the lecture was that this man, in the process of dying from pancreatic cancer, made no mention of his faith in the Lord or the sureness of his salvation. I am going to suspect he had none. He was a scientist, a computer engineer, and mentioned at the start of the 'last lecture' that he was not going to talk about spiritual stuff. If he was an active believer and facing his death, this would have been a great opportunity for sharing 'the hope that he has...' I think that is what kept me from reading the book, since I knew he did not express belief in the Lord. Plus, he was on "Oprah"!

One day last week Justin and I encountered the son of one of our neighbors, named Bill. He dropped off his younger son at Grandma's as his wife and he were taking their older son, Brooks, to lacrosse camp. Bill told us how his son is going into his senior year and hopes to get scholarships for lacrosse. We chatted with Bill for a minute or so, and got into the elevator, neither of us speaking. Brooks was in Timmy's class, you see. His name appears on a piece of artwork hung in the hallway, which both the dad and grandma have come up to see. 

Several other people I am friends with on Facebook are posting about getting their kids ready for their senior year---Timmy's classmates from Precious Lambs Preschool or at St. Johns. I have already sort of decided to attend Senior Presentation Day this year, sit in the back and watch the kids officially become Seniors. When I would help out in the library at St. Johns I would still get to see the kids as they came through. And now they are seniors...

Karen, me, and Judy at Carrabba's last November. Their parents worship at Victory. I had lunch with Karen in June when I was in Manitowoc!

My friend, Judy, with whom I had dinner last November, wrote today about her younger daughter going into school as a freshman. I wrote back to Judy that I had a 'gulp' in my throat reading that, amazed at the years having gone by like they have. She sent me a text message asking to make an appointment for a phone call so we could hear each other's voices. We will have to match up our schedules to make it so! 

Tonight Justin and I enjoyed dinner at Mojo's, using the gift cards given me by a friend at the pool. She was so thankful for my bringing her a bag of cheesecurds that she gave me those gift cards. And we enjoyed our dinners! On the way home, I got a text message from Kathy, who stays in my building with her mom, asking if I was home. I told her I was on my way. She wanted to get together so I let her know when I was home.                               

 Justin excused himself to his room when Kathy arrived. She told me she had something on her heart and wanted to share with me. In her hand was a gift bag. She kept telling me that I didn't know what was in the bag, but I had a suspicion. As I opened it, she told me that ever since she met me, she knew that 'gift' belonged with me. Yes, she gave me her cobalt blue tear collecting bottle! I am so touched, both by her giving it to me and her sentiment about it. The bottle came from Iran, gotten during a deployment there, and now it is mine. I am blown away, just blown away by her parting with her tear collection bottle. Sigh....