It's HALLOWEEN and it's got me in mind of those who have gone before us...my dad in particular. In the mind of trick or treat...he'd never trick, only treat those he crossed paths with in the course of his life. Generosity and kindness were the hallmarks. I'm grateful for all that he taught me about how to be a teacher. Like reminding me that I may be the only concrete support in my students' lives, so I need to be there for them every day. I learned that if you get upset about it, you pay twice! and I learned, "thank G-d it isn't medical bills. The other day, I got lost in Queens, NY and came upon the house where my dad grew up and where they lived when I was a baby. I'd been meaning to go by that house for the longest time and Wednesday brought me there. It seemed smaller than I remembered. I remember thinking the little terrace was somehow up in the sky. I remember going over there to help my dad paint when getting it ready for a tenant. I remember being able to walk up two blocks to a deli to get a bologna sandwich for lunch. I remember the closets were huge and you could probably live in one of them.
I remember my Nanny, Eileen Smyth, who lived there. She taught me to read. She baked and we used to watch A Family Affair with Buffy, Jody, Uncle Bill and Mr. French.
My dad came from good roots and passed on the best of the good stuff to me and I am grateful
