Halloween 1971

( Intermediate Level )

Noreen saw her granddaughter staring out the window to the streets below. She was fascinated that the people looked like ants running back and forth. From the seventeenth floor, everything looked small.

Emilee and her parents just moved to the city. Her dad’s previous job had closed its doors and living in the country finding work was far and few between. He and his wife hated the idea of moving. They wanted to raise their children outside the city. For now, they only had Emilee, who just turned five, but they wanted more children in the future.

She hadn’t started school yet. Her birthday fell in October which meant she couldn’t start school until September of the next year.

By moving to the city she had left all her friends behind and her parents both working during the day all she had was her grandmother to entertain her. Noreen would take her to the park at least once a week or take shopping at the mall or just sit home to have a tea party with her dolls.

One of her favorite things she loved was having tea parties with Grandma. They always had cookies and milk to serve to their guests. One day Emilee had told her grandma, ” Mr. Bear loves the chocolate chip cookies the best and he would appreciate having them more often.”

The weather starts to cool off in October and Noreen dislikes the cold. Their playdates at the park would soon come to an end until spring comes back. This meant Grandma Noreen had to come up with another activity to occupy her granddaughter’s day.

“Tomorrow we will go shopping for a craft to do together or a puzzle maybe. What do you think, Emilee? It is getting too cold for Grandma to go outside so we won’t be going to the park again until springtime.”

“Can we go to the mall that has all the Halloween decorations? Daddy says we cannot trick or treat this year. He doesn’t know the neighborhood and said maybe next year we can go out.” Noreen agreed to take her to the mall.”

Over dinner that evening Emilee asked her grandma, “What Halloween was like when you were a little girl like me?”

‘It wasn’t as exciting as it is now. We didn’t have haunted houses or parties. When I tuck you into bed, I will tell you about a very special Halloween that my mother did for me. Now you finish eating your dinner. Your parents should be home from work shortly.”

Emilee finished dinner and had her bath. Her parents came home and visited before she headed to bed. As promised, her grandmother began to tell her of a very special Halloween.

“It was 1971 and my parents had moved to the city, the same city where I lived ever since. I married your grandfather here and had your father here.”

“When we moved here I was just about your age. I left all my friends behind, just like you.” Emilee was listening carefully. Her grandmother seemed to know how her granddaughter felt.

“It was, I think, late August when we made the move. We moved into a neighborhood that had many families but all the children were much older than I was.”

“We lived on the third floor in one of the older apartment buildings. I think it is gone now. I used to sit on the balcony and watch all the kids play but not one invited me to join them.”

“I sat and cried many nights wishing to move back to where all my friends were. My mother told me, Give it some time, honey. You will make tons of friends soon. I didn’t believe her.”

“Before you knew it October had come. Almost two months of sitting and watching. My mother had seen my unhappiness and tried to entertain me. One weekend we drove out of the city to a very well-known pumpkin farm. We could go out into the field and pick our very own pumpkin.”

“What happened there that day was truly magical. I saw my very first scarecrow. He sat by the entrance of the path to the pumpkin field, with an inviting smile. I remember looking into his eyes and feeling happy.”

“Come along Noreen. We need to pick out our pumpkin, I heard my mother saying. After walking up and down rows and rows of pumpkins, I found what I thought was the perfect pumpkin.”

“It was a bit too heavy for me to carry so my mom carried it back to the car. I remember stopping once more to look at the scarecrow. My mother hurried me along as it was about an hour’s drive back home and she wanted to get ahead of the traffic.”

“I remember glancing back one last time at the scarecrow before we drove away. My mother had noticed my fascination with it and asked me if I would want my very own scarecrow and he can sit out on the balcony with me?”

Emilee was laying on her side now with her head propped up by her hand. She was curious about this scarecrow. “Go on. What did you tell your mother?”

Noreen smiled down at her granddaughter. “Of course, I told her yes! The very next day we went to the goodwill store and picked out the oldest men’s clothes we could find. Pants, an old red plaid flannel shirt, a pair of old boots, and even found a straw hat. It was a little lopsided but we knew it would add character to our scarecrow.“

“As we approached the check out to pay for everything I remember asking my mom what we could use to stuff Harry and what about his head?”

“Harry? You’ve given him a name already?

“The cashier heard our conversation and asked what we were making. I immediately told her Harry the scarecrow for Halloween. He will sit out on our balcony for everyone to see.”

Noreen glanced at Emilee to see if she had fallen asleep. She hadn’t. “That was a perfect name, Grandma. I would have called him Harry too!”

“The cashier rang up all the items my mom and I had picked out. She kindly mentioned we could use a pumpkin for the head and if we wanted we could stop by her father’s place and get some straw to stuff the clothing with, to make the body.”

“She jotted down the address and phone number then handed a slip of paper to my mother. We thanked her and headed home.”

“That evening I could barely sleep. My mother had promised we would create Harry the next day after we picked up the straw.”

Emilee let out a loud yawn. “We can finish this story tomorrow.” She shook her head no. “I want to hear more about Harry.” Noreen smiled and continued her story.

“I wasn’t sure what time I fell asleep but I know I woke before the sun was up. I remember staying in bed until my mother said goodbye to my dad as he left for work. “

“I ran to the kitchen to find my mom having coffee at the kitchen table. When can we go to get the rest of the things for Harry? Mom looked at me with amazement. She asked how I could have so much energy in the morning?.“

“I quickly answered her. It’s the day Harry comes alive just like the snowman in Frosty The Snowman.” Emilee knew which story her grandmother was talking about. “The snowman with the magical top hat that came alive once the hat was placed on his head. Right grandma? Noreen nodded.

“My mom had made my breakfast and tidied up the house before she made the phone call to the cashier’s dad. She finished the call and had come into the kitchen. I was just finishing my breakfast.”

“He said we can meet him around ten this morning. He also said he has a small pumpkin patch if we would like to pick out a pumpkin for Harry’s head. I couldn’t wait to leave. It seemed that time was moving slowly.”

“We met John a little after ten. His home was on the outskirts of town, an area my mother rarely went to. So we didn’t make a mess in our apartment. He suggested we bring the clothes we wanted to stuff with straw.”

“I had held Harry’s clothes tight against me for the whole trip. I left the straw hat at home. This was the magical hat that would bring Harry alive for the Halloween season. I didn’t want anything to happen to it.”

“John was very helpful. He helped us stuff the clothes and even tied off the ends of the pants and sleeves with rope so the straw wouldn’t fall out. Then he walked us to his pumpkin patch. It wasn’t as small as we had thought nor was it as big as what we had seen on the TV.”

“Now, Noreen, you can pick any pumpkin you want. Just go up and down the rows until you find the perfect one for you. I looked up at my mom with a huge smile on my face and off I ran.”

“It seemed I ran for miles until I found the perfect pumpkin. It wasn’t too small or too big. And definitely, the straw hat would fit. I found it, I yelled. It’s perfect. I gently picked it up and carried it all the way back to where both John and my mother stood waiting.“

“Mom thanked John and his daughter for their kindness and they packed up everything to head home. I had given John a hug before I got in the car. I still remember his big belly and how hard it was for me to get my arms around him.”

“By the time we arrived home, mom had to start dinner, dad would be coming home shortly. Mom promised we would assemble Harry after dinner. I hurried and ate my dinner and asked to leave the table. I kissed dad and went to the balcony to wait for mom.”

“Finally, we assembled Harry on an extra chair. Once he was in the right position where people could see him from the street. I had the honor of placing his magical straw hat on his head. He looked better than the one we had seen at the pumpkin patch. That one didn’t have a straw hat. I was so proud of our creation.”

“The next morning I begged my mom to have my breakfast out with Harry. I sat there and talked with him as if he was a friend. As the days passed the neighborhood kids started to notice Harry. Some actually came close to get a better view and talked to me about him.”

“Eventually the kids invited me to come and play with them. Sometimes they ate lunch with me and Harry out on the balcony. So the magic that Harry had was giving me the opportunity to make new friends in this big city.”

“Grandma? Can we make our own Harry? One I can sit with?” Noreen looked into her granddaughter’s eyes, “Of course, we can. And you know what I have after all these years? Harry’s straw hat. I kept it with me, hoping to build a Harry for my children but life got too busy. So kiddo, you and I will build our scarecrow tomorrow.”

“Now it is time to go to sleep.” Noreen bent down to give Emilee a kiss good night. Her granddaughter threw her arms around her neck and whispered, “You’re the best grandma in the whole world.” Emilee turned over and pulled the covers over her shoulder.

Noreen turned off the bedside lamp and turned around to see her son, Emilee’s father, standing there at the door. “ I agree with her. Not only are you the best grandma in the world but I think you are a darn good mom too“, her son said as she passed him at the door. He bent forward and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

Written By: Angel

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Memories are precious and worth sharing with the next generation.

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Vocabulary:

fascinated – adjective: attracted and interested

far and few between – idiom: infrequent

entertain– verb: provide amusement or entertainment

playdates – noun: a time or date when children play together

occupy – verb: fill the mind or thoughts

decorations – noun: ornaments

balcony – noun: an upper floor area in apartments where one can sit outside

scarecrow – noun: an object made to resemble a human figure, set up to scare birds away from a field where crops are growing

fascination – noun: excitement

curious – adjective: eager to learn or know something

lopsided – adjective: disproportioned

amazement – noun: surprise or wonder

tidied up – phrasal verb: arrange or small cleaning

outskirts – noun: the outer parts of a town or city

Question ( s ):

Do you have a special memory of a holiday growing up?

Conduit

( Intermediate Level )

His English name is Billy and this is what his ESL teacher, Miss Clara, calls him. This is her second year seeing this young boy and his demeanor had changed dramatically since the year before.

Last year, in class, he listened carefully, participated when he could, and usually sat quietly in the classroom. This year it wasn’t so.

It was the beginning of the new school year and Miss Clara saw familiar faces and new ones. Billy’s was one. He made it a point to say hello and greet her with his usual high five and wonderful smile. This is the Billy she remembers.

It takes a few weeks of the new school year to have a permanent teaching schedule given to you. This allows the school time to work out the classroom sizes, and the amount of native English teachers available.

In the first few weeks, Miss Clara hadn’t seen Billy in any of her classes. It wasn’t until the fifth week had she received her permanent schedule and the classes she was responsible for.

As she followed her new schedule and alternating classes she discovered Billy was in her assigned classes along with other familiar faces. He was happy to see her and reached out for his usual high five.

On her first day teaching this class she noticed Billy had kept to himself more than before. She chalked it up to it being the beginning of the school year and everyone, staff and students alike, was adjusting.

It wasn’t until her third or fourth time in his classroom, that she noticed her once quiet student, from last year, was now very disrupted. He would stand up and flail his arms about, mumbling words that no one could understand, sometimes hitting himself about the body and head.

What had happened to make these changes in this student of hers? It is very difficult to get answers from other staff members, especially in a foreign country. Either they don’t question why or they assume he is a special needs student.

Clara was saddened to see this behavior in Billy. How was she to teach him now? She did the best she could. Involving him when she could and leaving him alone when he had his bad days, hoping he was listening when she taught.

As the weeks went by this same behavior continued until an incident happened that shook Clara. She kept her thoughts to herself for a while knowing the world is full of naysayers.

On this particular day, Billy was having a horrible day. He was unusually loud and physical. His homeroom teacher went to his desk not once but twice to quiet him. She motioned for him to get something out of his desk.

There are two students in this class who when they act out are to get out their small desktop whiteboards and write, draw, scribble, or whatever they choose to do. This is what his teacher asked him to retrieve.

Billy followed her instructions and he began to write something with great passion. He stood up and carefully showed the class what he wrote. Turning so as not to miss anyone seeing what was written.

He sat down and the class turned their attention once more to Miss Clara. She looked over at Billy and saw he was intent on what was on his whiteboard.

For the second time but much quieter, Billy stood up showing the class what was on his board. This time he made sure Miss Clara had seen.

What she read was unbelievable and no one knew what it truly meant except for Clara. She remembered seeing those words before.

Her morning teaching assistant and her locked eyes for a moment and she rolled her eyes. Clara thinks she must not truly understand.

For the remaining time of the English class, Billy sat quietly and Clara couldn’t wait to go on break so she could check on the internet to verify.

Tick tick tick the minutes went by. Miss Clara said goodbye to her students making sure to give Billy a high five. She was happy he responded. It was as if he was content with his mission of showing the class and her his message.

Clara sat at her usual bench outside pulling her cell phone out of her bag. She loved sitting there as it was in the sunshine plus the students would come down for their recess time soon., She loved watching them play.

She typed in the words she read on Billy’s whiteboard. She really tried to grasp the fact the words were above his grade level, they were written in English and with amazing penmanship and not a single spelling error.

She typed in the words he wrote “Korean International Flight 801”. Sure enough, this was a devastating plane crash that happened in 1997 before Billy was born.

She sat there just staring at the article. Trying to make sense of it. How can he know of such an event? How did he know how to spell it correctly? We are talking about a young boy at the age of seven soon to be eight. Not to mention his low-level English ability.

She finally shared this incident with her teaching assistant for her upper classes. He listened carefully and added his thoughts, “This student could have come across an article on the internet or heard someone talking about it.”

This could all be true but things weren’t adding up. It was not a recent event and she quickly realized the conversation would go nowhere with her assistant. She shrugged it off and changed the subject.

That evening she thought about the incident once more and thinks that maybe it may have been one of the victims of this disastrous flight using Billy as a conduit from the other side. He or she wanted to get a message to someone on this side.

Maybe Billy has a special gift that he doesn’t quite understand. No one will ever know unless he discovers this himself. For now, Miss Clara feels honored that she witnessed this firsthand and shares her story with others that believe.

Written By: Angel

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Thoughts From Angel:

Usually, my writings are about life and circumstances that revolve around us as humans. Today’s story is a situation that hit close to home for me.

This story is 100% true. I was the teacher to this young boy. I have changed the names of those involved and will not share real pictures.

Can I say without a doubt what I think is happening is true? Absolutely not. I believe some people have the gift of spiritual connections and being a conduit for those on the other side.

If you appreciate what I do and would like to see this site continue, “Buy me a coffee”

I receive 100% of all donations

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Vocabulary:

demeanor – noun: behavior

dramatically – adverb: large extent

participated – verb: take part in an action

chalk (ed ) it up – phrasal verb: to consider something as being caused by something else

flail – verb: to wave or swing arms wildly

mumbling – adjective: speaking in an indistinctive way

naysayers – noun: a person who criticizes, objects to, or opposes something

motioned – verb: direct or command (someone) with a movement of the hand or head

intent – noun: purpose

locked eyes – idiom: used to say that someone is looking at someone or something and not looking at anything else 

content : happiness

devastating – adjective : destructive or damaging

disastrous – adjective: causing great damage

conduit – noun: a channel

firsthand – adjective: personal experience

Question ( s ):

Do you believe?

One Step, One Dance

red flower fields

( Intermediate Level )

Each morning Amy asks herself what she is grateful for and she answers, “Clint. His love and his amazing courage and his sheer strength to overcome difficulty.”

She married the love of her life at age twenty-one. They bought an older two-bedroom home in the countryside. It was far from Clint’s work but he felt when the two decided to have children, he wanted them raised outside the big city.

After three and a half years of marriage, he was heading to work as he did every day and a semi-truck lost control causing a huge six-car pile-up. Clint’s vehicle was one of the vehicles involved in the accident.

Clint was hospitalized for months due to multiple fractures in his spine and a broken left leg. The doctors were concerned that he may not walk again. There was a lot of swelling and it was too early to tell. Every moment of her day Sally was by his side at the hospital.

She encouraged him when he had physical therapy and on those days when he felt he was less of a man or husband. “You’re young and beautiful and you shouldn’t be wasting your time with me. Go and find a man who can take care of you properly.”

“Clint, you quit talking like that. I will do no such thing. I am your wife and you are my husband. For better or worse, right?” She kissed him on the forehead and continued massaging his legs as he sat in his wheelchair.

“You realize I may never walk again or never be the same man you married. The doctors cannot promise anything.” He looked down at her to see her reaction.

“Either way Clint, we will make this work. I already had someone build a ramp so when you come home we can get you in the house without any problem. I moved our bed closer to the wall to have enough space for your wheelchair just in case.”

“Stop worrying. All I want is to have you home with me so keep trying your best. For me. I miss you not being at home with me.”

Clint, like most men, felt he wasn’t a proper man if he couldn’t provide for his wife. Go to work. Does the handyman work around the house? Instead, his wife, the love of his life, would have to take care of him. This didn’t agree with him and saddened him when he thought of it.

He would try his best to make a full recovery. He honestly didn’t want his wife to see his struggles but she insisted he come home to be with her. This meant she would have to take care of him around the clock until he was able to do it for himself.

The doctors had told him if he continued to make progress and everything was stable he would be released from the hospital in a week or a week and a half. Being a man of thirty-two he was still quite strong and healthy. This was a plus on his side.

Amy spent most of her day by his bedside. Going home in the evenings and returning as he was having breakfast. She would bring him some of her biscuits and gravy or an omelet since he didn’t care for hospital food.

His doctor always made early hospital rounds. If they had any questions this was the time to ask them. It was always the same question. “When can my husband come home?” from Amy or “When can I go home doc?” Clint chimed in usually.

The day finally came. Clint was discharged from the hospital. He was given a schedule to follow for his physical therapy. “Time is important, Clint. Follow this schedule and don’t miss a session. If you want the best chance to walk again, please do as I say.”

Clint agreed to do as the doctor told him to do. He was elated to finally be going home. Amy assured the doctor that her husband would follow the schedule. She knew the importance of this matter.

Clint’s father was at their house upon arrival. He had retired a few months earlier so he was able to make the drive to his son’s place. Clint’s mom still had obligations at work for another six months before she could actually get away and they both agreed it may be easier for their son if only dad had come.

The trip home had made Clint tired and he wanted to rest a bit before visiting with his dad. He wheeled himself to their bedroom and sat there in his wheelchair for a moment taking in the surroundings.

A new bedside commode was situated by their bed. A urine bottle hung on the headboard. There was a trapeze put into place hanging just above the head of the bed to help him get in and out of bed easier.

His room looked like a hospital room. He shook his head and pulled himself onto the bed. He laid there for a moment or two thinking this crap had to go as soon as possible. It made him feel more of an invalid than he imagined.

His father stayed two weeks and was a great help to him and to Amy. She was able to go into town to take care of business and buy groceries without worrying about Clint. Father and son were able to spend quality time together.

“I hate this Dad. You have to babysit me. I should be the one who takes care of you and mom now that you are getting older.”

“Who are you calling old?” His dad wanted to make the conversation more upbeat. He felt how embarrassed his son was needing help to do the minor things we tend not to think about doing like reaching for the coffee pot on the kitchen counter.

“It will be around as long as you let it be around, Son. It is up to you to do all the work to make yourself like you were before that terrible accident. We can be here to help you but you have to do most of it yourself” Clint shook his head in agreement. He knew what his dad said was the truth.

The next few months were exhausting and sometimes painful. Many times he wanted to give up and his father’s words echoed in his head. “We can be here to help but it is up to you.”

Once a month, Clint would see his doctor. He was pleased with the notes he read from the physical therapist. “Your therapist thinks you will be ready to bear weight on those legs of yours with braces.”

“As early as next week she will start you off with a few steps if you can handle it. Hopefully, your legs will build up their muscles again and the braces can come off. In another four to six months maybe you will not need therapy or that wheelchair.”

Clint knew this meant a lot of hard work was heading his way but he was determined to be back to his normal self as soon as possible. He had a plan to surprise his wife. Their four-year wedding had passed recently.

He wanted to have a night out with her but the wheelchair restricted what he had in mind. He was still determined to make it happen. It would be a little late in coming. With his parent’s help and his determination, it will be possible.

As the doctor forecasted, Clint began his weight-bearing between two bars in the therapy room. The first time he tried to have his legs hold his weight they nearly buckled underneath him.

He couldn’t believe how difficult this was. It was just months prior he was walking and wrestling with his wife for fun. Now his legs won’t hold his body up. He was frustrated.

“It will get easier. Your legs haven’t worked in a few months. Your spine has healed now you have to believe in yourself and do it.”

Clint looked at his therapist with dismay. It was easy for her to say these things. How could she know his pain and frustration? Maybe it was a standard thing she said to all her patients.

Each day Clint made a little more progress. One step then another. It was like a child beginning to walk for the first time. He looked up to the therapist and his wife to see their excitement for him just as a baby would.

This went on for many sessions. One step then another until his legs held up his body for the whole length of the bar. It was a great milestone for him. “Are we ready to take these damn braces off my leg yet, Doc?

“Not yet Clint. Let’s give it at least a week more than we can try without the braces. We can’t rush things now. Have patience.” This isn’t what Clint wanted to hear. He wanted those damn restrictive braces off. As much as they helped his legs hold up his body they also limited his movements.

After what seemed to be a lifetime, Clint had his leg braces taken off for his therapy session. As he took his very first step he felt his leg muscles strain to hold up his weight.

It was an odd sensation for him to step and feel so unstable. He thought he was strong enough to do this but now he has doubts.

“It is normal what you are feeling. It will take a while for your brain to tell your legs what to do. Don’t give up now. You have come this far.” His therapist had seen his frustration and disappointment.

Sometimes his therapist’s positivity annoyed him. How can she be so enthusiastic if she couldn’t feel what he felt? She hadn’t let him down at all so he continued to do as she said and tried to keep positive.

Clint saw his wife’s smile and in her eyes, he could see the worry. How he admired her. She had never given up on him. It gave him the strength to keep pushing forward.

On Monday, he was to see his doctor again. Clint knew his doctor would read the reports and see the progress he had made over the past few months. Again, he found himself childlike, needing verbal confirmation he was doing great.

“If this progress continues you shouldn’t need therapy after a month. Your therapist says you are doing much better than she anticipated at this stage.” These words gave Clint the spark he needed to try even harder in the upcoming sessions.

That evening, Clint called his father telling him the good news. “Remember what we talked about?” His father acknowledges the conversation.” Well, I want to put things in motion. Can you do this for me?”

“Do you think you should wait? Maybe a month?” His father said with apprehension in his voice. “No, I want this dad. Amy deserves this. She has been by my side throughout these past few months. I want to show her how much I appreciate her.”

They hung up the phone and Clint rolled his wheelchair into the living room where he found his wife busy watching a movie. She was snuggled up on the sofa with a cup of hot cocoa on the coffee table.

“How are your parents? she asked. “They’re doing fine and my dad was happy to hear the news of my progress. They’re planning on coming in about a month to see us.” He knew she was half listening to him. She was busy watching her movie.

The day came when Clint no longer had to rely on his leg braces. The therapist suggested he keep the wheelchair around for another month or so just in case he needed it.

After months of therapy sessions, she said she was no longer needed. “You have all the knowledge and you know what you are capable of. As time passes you will be better than today. I am only a phone call away if my services are needed again but let’s hope not.”

“No Doc, I will not be back,” with his wife by his side and with the help of two walking canes, he walked out of the therapy room on his own. Taking one step after another. He used the canes only for balance leaving his own two legs to work on their own.

His parents arrived at their house that evening and Clint’s mom smothered him with hugs and kisses. She felt terrible she had not had the time to help him through his journey.

Clint was able to speak with his father on the sly asking him if everything was in place. “Yes, everything is set for Saturday night. I contacted everyone and they will help.”

Amy had no idea what Clint had planned. All she knew was he wanted to go to his favorite restaurant on Saturday and have real food. A real steak.

He loved this place because of its atmosphere. It had live music and a dance floor. She figured it would be a relaxing night out with his parents and a way for him to feel normal once again.

Saturday night came and the foursome headed to the restaurant. Clint had put on a nice dress shirt and had his haircut that day with his father. It was the perfect excuse for the two of them to check on the arrangements that were placed over a week ago.

They pulled up in front of the building and Amy noticed how many cars were in the parking lot. “We may not get a table. It seems it is quite busy tonight.”

“It will be ok, “he chimes in. As they entered Amy heard the band playing and as she came around the corner she noticed her friend and family had filled all the tables.

Across the staging area where the DJ stood, a banner was strung across. HAPPY ANNIVERSARY AMY and CLINT. Amy quickly looked over at her husband and she saw he was smiling ear to ear.

They made their way to the front of the room where a special table was set for the anniversary couple and his parents. Everyone in the room applauded as they walked through the room.

A few moments passed and the DJ was heard asking Clint to come to the front. Clint stood and instead of grabbing for his canes, he took the steps towards the DJ unaided.

The DJ handed him the microphone and Clint turned towards Amy and the crowd. “After months of dedication, I am able to stand here in front of all of you and especially my wife who never left my side.”

“Our anniversary passed and I wanted this night to be special for her to show how much I love her and thank her for loving me.” He turned to hand the microphone back to the DJ and extended his arm out to his wife.

The DJ started the song. Stand By Me. The words echoed, “Whenever you’re in trouble, just stand by me.” Amy held her husband tight as she swayed to the music and whispered the words of the song to her husband.

Written By: Angel

Follow me:

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Instagram: morningangel847

Twitter: AngelOfTheMorn5

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Thoughts from Angel:

I admire anyone who overcomes an obstacle in their life. Whether it is big or small they do not let it stop them from living life.

If you appreciate what I do

and would like to support this website, “Buy Me A Coffee”

I receive 100% of all donations

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Vocabulary:

sheer – adjective: completely

grateful – adjective: feeling or showing

countryside – noun: rural

semi-truck – noun: a combination of a tractor/truck unit with a trailer carrying freight

fractures – noun: the cracking or breaking of bones

discharged – verb: allowed to leave

elated – adjective: happy

obligations – noun: commitment

trapeze noun: a horizontal bar hanging by two ropes or chains

invalid – noun: a person made weak or disabled by illness or injury

minor – adjective: less important

exhausting – adjective: tiring

restricted– adjective: limited

forecasted – verb: predict

weight-bearing – noun: supporting the weight of something

dismay – noun: distress

milestone – noun: event marking a significant change 

sensation – noun: feeling

positivity – noun: to be positive 

enthusiastic – adjective: eager

keep pushing forward -idiom: continue doing something

anticipated – verb: to predict

put things in motion – idiom: to begin

half listening – idiom: to not listen closely

atmosphere – noun: mood of the situation

unaided – adjective: no assistance

Question ( s ):

Have you or anyone you’ve known gone through physical therapy?

Can you imagine the frustration of not being able to do things that you had normally done in the past?

Special

a young girl in white shirt

( Intermediate Level )

As Miss Jenny arrived all the students but one chimed, “Good Morning Miss Jenny.” Minh was deep in her activity to see her teacher arrive. The system titles her as a special needs student but Miss Jenny just tells her and her classmates she is special.

Most of Minh’s classmates had the compassion to help her feel part of the class. There was one student, Nam, who could care less about her.

Every time the class had an activity she was given a head start or some type of an advantage to allow her to do better than she would otherwise. This just made Nam mad.

“Today everyone will review our vocabulary words. First, let’s play the memory game. I will face all words backward on the board and you will have to find the word I say. If you find the word and use it in a sentence correctly then you will earn your team an extra point.”

Nam let out a sigh, “Miss Jenny I don’t want her on my team.” he pointed at Minh who was still deep into her own activity but looked up at Nam as he talked. “Move her over to the other side. She will make us lose. She is stupid!”

This was not the first insult towards Minh out of Nam. Jenny usually ignored his complaints but today she didn’t. She saw Minh’s face as she realized Nam meant her. Did she understand? Maybe not but Jenny did and it made her stomach sick.

She wondered how Nam came to be who he was at such a young age. At ten years old his innocence was gone. “Well, Nam just because you said that I will move her to the other side and make her the captain of Team Two.”

This made Nam giggle out loud. He won this battle with Miss Jenny. What he didn’t realize was that Minh was very good at remembering things. Especially when it involved visual cues.

Miss Jenny moved Minh to the opposite side of the room and her new teammates welcomed her. Jenny quickly showed her students all the vocabulary words then mixed them up and put them on the board facing backward. She numbered them one through twenty.

“Ok, now let’s have one from each team do rock paper scissors to see which team goes first.” Nam quickly stood up and Minh’s new teammates elected her. The two faced off and Nam won. He was gloating as he went back to his seat.

“Seems Team One goes first.” Nam quickly stood as he elected himself to be the first. “Where is the pencil case?” Nam looked at the board and said , “Number eleven.”

Miss Jenny turned over the word for eleven. “Oh, I am sorry it is not a pencil case.” Nam sat down and Jenny looked toward Team Two. “Who will go first here?” Minh shook her head. She didn’t want to go first.

Another classmate raised her hand and stood. “Number seven.” It was not a pencil case. This went on for a few rounds. Each student is trying to find the vocabulary word pencil case.

Finally, a member of Team One found the word pencil case. “Yeah!” Nam was happy his team got the first two points. The extra point for using the word in a sentence.

Minh watched the board carefully as each vocabulary word was turned over in search of the pencil case. As Miss Jenny calculated, Minh knew exactly where each of the following vocabulary words was when asked to find them.

The score now was Team One fourteen points and Team Two twenty – six points with Minh finding or helping her team member find the vocabulary word that was next to find.

Nam’s mood had changed and he was annoyed that his own team hadn’t done better. Miss Jenny had noticed this change and inside she felt this would be a lesson Nam would remember.

She glanced over at Minh who sat there calmly. With only two more vocabulary words to find and turn over it is a given Team Two won this activity. She wasn’t rubbing it in Nam’s face that her team obviously won.

Team One found one of the remaining two vocabulary words and Team two the other. “Team Two won!” Miss Jenny said. All the team members clapped and showed their thanks to Minh who had helped them a great deal.

As the teacher glanced over at the other team they too were celebrating the other team’s win except for Nam who sat there in silence.

Written By: Angel

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Thoughts From Angel:

This is an actual event that took place in my classroom. Instead of pointing out the fact I let the student realize it himself what a grave mistake he made by judging his fellow classmate.

(Names were changed)

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Vocabulary:

chimed – verb: resounded

special needs student – noun: various difficulties (such as a physical, emotional, behavioral, or learning disability or impairment) that causes an individual to require additional or specialized services

compassion – noun: sympathetic pity and concern

advantage – noun: a condition or circumstance that puts one in a favorable or superior position

insult – verb: speak to or treat with disrespect 

ignored – verb: refuse to take notice of or acknowledge

visual cues – noun: concrete objects, pictures, symbols, or written words that provide a child with information about how to do a routine, activity, behavior, or skill

gloating – adjective: dwelling on one’s own success or another’s misfortune

calculated – adjective: done with full awareness of the likely consequences

annoyed – adjective: irritated

rubbing it in (his/her) face – idiom: to boast to make someone someone feel bad

a great deal – phrase : large amount

Question ( s ):

How would you have handled this situation?

His Legacy Lives On

( Intermediate Level )

The rangers called him Amari. Even in aging, he holds himself with dignity. He is one of the original male lions brought to the protection of the private game reserve.

He and his pride traveled too close to a neighboring village making the people too uneasy. In fear for him, he was relocated within the reserve’s boundaries, where there was safety from the farmer’s wrath.

That was over eleven years ago. Now Amari watches over the savannah that belongs to him. This is where he has lived with his pride and sired many cubs with little to no worries of man.

In his day, he had outwitted many poacher traps and won many battles against intruding males. As an older lion, his battle days are just about over.

His face and body bare the scars of battles past. Even with his days numbered, he will keep protecting his pride and all his young until he takes his last breath.

There was a time when he was one of those young males collecting females from others. He fought and defeated many, killing their young and taking their lionesses with him building his own pride.

Over recent years the savannah’s temperature has continued to rise to make it difficult to hunt. Many of the herd populations, like the zebra and gazelle, have decreased. Their newborns were unable to make the trek across the dry and barren wilderness in search of water. They were leaving carcasses scattered for the scavengers.

Even his own pride suffered losses. Lionesses were unable to find prey to kill leaving them incapable of nourishing their cubs. The cubs become frail and die. As terrible as it may sound, the dead provide some nourishment for her and the others.

Many question the practice the rangers do. They do not interfere with the natural life cycle of any of the game animals found at their facility. In a case of a serious disease, they will administer the proper medication or dispose of those infected.

Is this fair? Some will argue no but without this protection, many would fall to the poacher’s snares or be needlessly killed as a trophy for someone’s wall.

Amari lived his life under the supervision of humans and lived his life to the fullest. His legacy lives on within his young.

Written by: Angel

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Thoughts From Angel:

This story was written so you can debate the pros and cons of games reserves versus living wild and free or in a zoo.

Animal populations around the world are in dire need. Every day another animal is added to the endangered list. Their habitats are being destroyed by man’s developments. Can we not come up with a solution?

Without help from humans, and responsible breeding programs, I believe many animals from around the world would completely disappear.

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Vocabulary:

dignity – noun: worthy of honor or respect.

wrath – noun: extreme anger

savannah – noun: a grassy plain

sired – verb: cause a pregnancy resulting in the birth

outwitted – verb: defeat by greater ingenuity

poacher – noun: one who kills or takes wild animals illegally

bare – adjective: a large amount or number of

days (are) numbered– idiom: used to say that someone or something will die, fail, or end soon

trek – noun: journey

barren – adjective: not productive

carcasses – noun: the dead body of an animal

frail – adjective: weak

dispose – verb: get rid of 

snares – noun: a trap for catching birds or animals, typically one having a noose of wire or cord

supervision – noun: the action of watching something

legacy – noun: passed on

Question ( s ):

Share your thoughts: wild and free versus under the protection of game reserves versus zoo life.

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Jia Li

woman wearing eyeglasses

( Intermediate Level )

Jia Li’s dream was to study abroad once she reached the university level. She did very well throughout her educational career and received top scores. Her greatest achievement was an overall band score of 8.0 on her IELTS on her first try.

Unfortunately, her family, mainly her father, had something different in mind when it came to her. She was their only child and she tried to argue her point of view but it fell on deaf ears.

All she could do was dream about what it would have been like if she was able to attend a university in another country. Jia Li dare not disappoint her family. Especially her father. He was the most traditional of everyone she knew.

She asked him once, “Why are you stuck in the old ways, Baba? The world around us is changing.” All she had in response was a stern glare and grumbling under his breath.

She never pressed the issue with him anymore. It was quite obvious how he felt. Her mother always sided with her husband. It was easier for her. So instead she gave up her dream.

Jia Li had one person in her life who listened to her and encouraged her. This was her native – speaking English teacher, Rebecca Adams, who had been her teacher and mentor for over six years.

The one thing she didn’t understand was why her father would hold Jia Li back after all she achieved academically. “What is the worst that would happen if you applied to a university and were accepted? You’re the only child and surely he would not disown you.”

“For now I think it is best I stay here and attend at least two years in one of our universities. I will try asking him again towards the end of the second year. Maybe he will soften his view.”

“My job is done with you. You will soon go off to school again and I need to move on. You are this teacher’s pride and joy.” She smiled at Jia Li and told her to keep in touch. This was a promise Jia Li aimed to keep.

The emails came frequently at first. Jia Li made sure to tell Rebecca about her classes and her teachers. As time passed the correspondence was more occasional.

Ms. Adams had returned to America as she felt she was away from her family too long. How long she would stay would be determined in the future. Her parents were getting up there in age so she wanted to stay around for a few years.

Rebecca remembers one of the latest emails from Jia Li. She wrote her father had become ill with cancer, and the doctors said they had done all they could do for him.

She also mentioned that her father had given her added pressure to get married and have a child before he died.

“Rebecca, it is close to the end of my second year and I have sent out applications to many universities abroad. I feel this is my last chance to follow my dream but with my father and his cancer I must stay. My mother will need me.”

When Rebecca read this her heart sank. She knew how long and hard she had worked but she understood. The end was inevitable for her father but it could be the beginning for Jia Li.

She wrote back and gave her deepest sympathies for what she and her family was going through. She ended her email with a few simple lines.

“My sweet Jia Li,

I have watched you grow up and become the person you have become. I am so glad I was chosen to be your teacher, your mentor, and your friend.

I know whatever choice you make in life you will surely succeed. I do not truly understand fully why your father held you back from the very beginning.

In my eyes, a parent should want more for their child than they had. Maybe this is one of the subtle differences between our cultures.

I hope you continue to keep in touch as you hold a special place in my heart. Please give my best to your parents.

Forever your friend,

Rebecca

As she tapped the send key Rebecca wondered if her former student would marry and have a child just to make her father happy.

As the months passed, Rebecca went on with her life. She managed to land a position at the university in which she graduated, teaching English to foreign students.

Once in a while, something or someone in her class would trigger a memory of Jai Li, and hoped she was doing well. She knew she would reach out once she could. Right now her family needed her.

The school year ended and Rebecca took her parents on vacation to Florida. Her mother’s sister and her husband had retired there. They spent a few weeks with them then traveled on to Georgia where her father’s brother lived.

It was a nice getaway for all of them. Rebecca would return to work in a month and a half. She was asked to return for another year which made her very happy. Maybe in another year or two, she would entertain working abroad again.

She hadn’t thought about moving out of her parent’s home. It was convenient for everyone. Her parents could rely on her and it was only twenty minutes from work. It was a win – win situation,

When the trio returned from their vacation they all sported a dark tan from the beautiful sunshine of Florida and Georgia. They hadn’t had a family vacation together in years.

While on vacation, Rebecca didn’t check her emails or social media. It was a time for her to detach from everything and unwind. She would have a week before work started up again and she was expecting anything urgent enough to interrupt their vacation.

The second night back Rebecca sat at her computer going through all her emails. She scrolled down and read what she felt was important and the rest she would leave for another time.

She kept scrolling through until one caught her eye. It was from Jia Li. She opened it and began to read.

“I wanted to write you a few shirt lines to let you know I am alright. I am sorry I haven’t written before now but you have always been on my mind.

Sadly, my father passed almost twenty days ago, and towards the end, he wasn’t himself. In my eyes, he had always been a strong determined man but he gave up. He was too tired to fight any longer.

I have been helping my mother deal with things here. They had been married for almost thirty – seven years and knew each other since grade school. She not only lost her husband but her best friend.

I do have a huge surprise for you and I cannot wait to share this news with you. When I have more time I will share this.”

Miss you,

Jia Li

Rebecca read through her email twice and she wondered what the surprise was. It was too soon for her to have a baby but maybe she married and became pregnant to satisfy her father’s wishes.

Either way, she would be supportive and happy for her. It was not up to her to judge something she really didn’t understand.

The final week of her vacation passed by too quickly. Before she knew it she was back at school prepping for the upcoming school year and the students.

She had over three hundred students assigned to her this year. Almost one hundred more from last year. She wouldn’t know until the first week of classes how many actually would come.

The week went by and Rebecca is ready for next week’s students. She made copies of her syllabus and her classroom rules along with the guidelines for the three student essays that they would be assigned.

She sat there going over everything once again and a staff member walked into her room. “Hi Rebecca, there is someone here to see you and I told her classes didn’t start until next week but she is insisting she speak with you tonight.”

“It’s ok. I am just about to leave. I will take a few minutes to speak with her before I head home. Thank you for letting me know.”

Rebecca gathered her papers and her briefcase had headed out. Turning off her classroom’s lights as she left. She couldn’t imagine why a student insisted on seeing her before school actually began.

As she entered the reception area she looked over at a woman sitting with her back facing her. She noticed her long black hair and tiny frame.

Rebecca sat her briefcase on the counter and began to walk over to this woman. As she approached her she gasped, “Oh my. I am so happy to see you.”

Jia Li stood up and gave her teacher a huge hug. They held each other for a long time.

Jia Li stepped back, “Surprise. I finally can follow my dream. It is never too late as my mother reminded me recently. She has gone to live with her sister and told me to get my butt here where I have always wanted to be.“

“I had my choice of many universities but I chose here. I was accepted into the Ph.D. program. It is the next chapter in my life!” The two hugged once more. Rebecca grabbed the briefcase and they headed out the door.

Written By: Angel

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Thoughts From Angel:

Many cultural differences are difficult for me to understand but in the same breath I respect them.

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Vocabulary:

achievement – noun: something done successfully, typically by effort or skill

deaf ears– idiom: no one listens

under his (one’s) breath – idiom: quietly so that other people cannot hear exactly what you are saying

mentor– noun: an experienced adviser or teacher

disown – verb: refuse to acknowledge or have any connection with

correspondence – noun: communication by exchanging letters or emails with someone

getting up there in age – idiom: elderly or becoming old

inevitable – adjective: certain to happen, unavoidable

deepest sympathies – idiom: said as a set response to someone sharing their misfortunes

subtle – adjective: difficult to analyze or describe, distinction

win – win -adjective: denoting a situation in which each party benefits in some way

prepping – noun: he action or process of preparing something

Question ( s ):

What are your thoughts on the plight of Jia Li?

If you were her, would you have followed your dream?

Forgiveness

( Intermediate Level )

As Allison and her husband, Craig, sat in the courtroom listening to the defendant, the defendant who had recklessly chosen to get behind the wheel of his car while he was intoxicated, she wept.

This man had taken the life of their daughter Anna Marie, who just months prior received her driver’s license. She would have started her junior year in high school and had so much promise in her future.

The judge had asked if the defendant wanted to say something before he was sentenced. Mr. Brown shook his head in affirmation.

“Thank you, Your honor. I can give you all kinds of excuses to say why I got behind the wheel that night but I am not. I should have just stayed home but I didn’t.”

“You see, your honor, I lost my wife and our unborn child while my wife was giving birth a month prior to the accident. Complications set in and the doctors tried to save them or at least my wife but they both died.“

“I blame myself. I insisted we start our family while we were still young. My wife never really wanted children. However, she loved me and knew I came from a large family and she reluctantly agreed.”

“As the months went by, my wife was actually getting excited about having our child. Our little girl. Once she felt her move in her stomach she felt differently.”

“We started to set up the nursery next to our bedroom. Decorating with pink flowers and lots of teddy bears. We must have worked on it for a week or so and my wife started feeling a bit under the weather.”

“She took it easy for a few days. Resting as she felt so tired. I insisted she make an appointment with the doctor as soon as possible, which she did.”

“She was to see the doctor in two days but something happened the night before her appointment. She doubled over in pain and she wanted to go to the hospital.”

Immediately, we headed to the emergency room. Upon arrival, my wife started to bleed and the pain worsened.”

“All I remember is the doctor saying she was in labor with complications. He took her into surgery hoping to save them both.”

An hour or so passed as I waited outside in the waiting area and the doctor came out and told me that he tried his best but they both had died.”

Mr. Brown’s voice began to crack as he held back his tears. “I lost, Your Honor, the love of my life, and my little girl that night. Life has not been the same since.”

“I cannot bring myself to sleep in the bed which I shared with my wife nor can I walk past the empty nursery.”

“I lost my job after a week. My boss understood what I was going through but he had no choice but to let me go.”

“I lost my willpower to continue living and the only thing that made me forget was the whiskey. It dulled my pain until I sobered up. So for me not to feel my pain I drank again. And again and again.”

Allison’s sobs grew louder. She felt his anguish. Craig put his arm around her and drew her in closer to him.

“That night I had to leave the house. The walls were coming down on me as my world did that night in the hospital. I grabbed my keys to get the hell out of there.”

“The next thing I remember, Your Honor, is waking up with a splitting headache with my wrist handcuffed to the hospital bed. It wasn’t until later that day I heard what I had done and I regret it to this day. I was irresponsible.”

He turned slightly in his chair to face Allison and Craig, “I am so sorry for what I took from you. I am not asking for your forgiveness, just understanding. That night was not who I am.”

Allison buried her face deep in her husband’s shoulder trying to hold back her tears. Mr. Brown turned back around to face the judge once again.

“We will take a recess and continue after lunch. Thank you Mr. Brown for sharing your story. When we come back we will hear from the parents before sentencing” The judge slammed his gavel down. Everyone stood as he left the courtroom.

Lunch break was an hour and a half. Both Craig and Allison didn’t feel like eating. Instead they sat at a local café mulling over if they wanted to speak. Craig felt he wouldn’t have anything nice to say so he opted not to.

Allison, on the other hand, felt she had much to say. Ï am going to speak from my heart.” she told her husband. “Ï believe we owe to ourselves and to Anna Marie.”

For the remaining forty-five minutes they sat there without speaking. Allison sipped her coffee and watched the people pass by the café’s window.

The two walked slowly to the courthouse dreading the afternoon session. This will be the most difficult thing for Allison. Face the man who took her daughter from her and speak.

They reached the courthouse and went inside. Allison looked over at the benches by the courtroom where they were to go to see an older couple sitting there. She figures they were about ten years or so older than her and her husband.

They were holding each other’s hands and talking quietly to each other. She doesn’t remember seeing them in the courtroom earlier.

The bailiff opened the double doors and nodded to both couples. It was the signal that the court session was about to resume. Allison and her husband entered and sat in the seats they had earlier.

The other couple sat behind the defense side of the room. At this moment Alison realized they must be either Mr. Brown’s parents or his deceased wife’s.

Mr. Brown was led into the courtroom. He saw his parents sitting as he entered. His mother looked like she hadn’t slept in days. As he sat his handcuffs were removed.

He turned to his mother and mouthed, “It will be ok Mom. I love you.” He then glanced at his dad. They locked eyes for a moment before he turned back around. This did not go unnoticed by Allison.

Within moments the bailiff was echoing “All rise. The court will now go into session. Please rise as the honorable Judge Smith enters the courtroom.” The judge entered carrying a stack of papers never looking towards the occupants of the room.

As he sat the bailiff was heard again. “Please be seated.” The judge seemed to organize the papers into stacks then he looked up towards the room.

This case was a difficult one for him. He too is a father of two teenage girls and he could feel the pain of both sides in this case before him.

The judge quickly summarized the morning session and then asked,” We will take a few moments to hear from the parents of the victim. After this, I will make a decision in this case..”

Allison took a deep breath and stood to address both the judge and Mr. Brown. She glanced over at his parents who were looking with great sadness in their eyes.

Allison looked down for a moment to compose herself and her thoughts then looked directly at the judge.

“Your Honor, If I was to speak this morning I may have had different things to say to you. My husband and I took this break to do some deep soul searching after what Mr. Brown told the courtroom this morning.”

“We realize, I realize he lost not one but two that were precious to him. Yes, He was irresponsible in getting behind the wheel of his car that night. Sure, he could have sought counseling to deal with his grief, but he didn’t.”

She turned towards Mr. Brown, “I can stand here before you and be angry at you for what you did but I am not. I hurt for you. I know the pain and sorrow you are feeling.“

“My husband and I feel the same. I see your parents in the courtroom and I do not want to give them more pain than they feel now.” She glanced back at them and saw his mother’s tears.

“I forgive you, Mr. Brown. Nothing will bring back my daughter, your wife, or your little girl and I am sorry. We are entitled to make a mistake here and there. I hope this is one mistake you never make again”

She looked down again and rubbed the top of one hand then she looked up to the judge. “Your Honor, My husband and I lost our little girl. Our only child but Mr. Brown lost also.”

“I can ask you for the maximum sentence allowed by the laws but I will not. It won’t bring back those who we’ve lost. Instead, I would like to see Mr. Brown begin to heal as we will.”

“His parents have suffered enough too. So I stand here before you asking that he be released with mandatory counseling to help him deal with his loss. My husband agrees with this. We forgive him.”

She sat next to her husband and felt like a huge burden had been lifted. It was time for their journey to healing. Allison and Craig had taken the first step. Forgiveness. Now it was time for Mr. Brown to forgive himself.

Written By: Angel

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Forgiveness allows you to move forward in life whether it is forgiving yourself or others.

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Vocabulary:

intoxicated – adjective: drunk

wept – verb: shed tears

complications – noun: a circumstance that complicates something; a difficulty

reluctantly – adverb: unwilling and hesitant 

under the weather – idiom: ill, not feeling well

sobered up – phrasal verb: to become less drunk

irresponsible – adjective: not showing responsibility

recess – noun: a period of time when the proceedings of a court of law are temporarily suspended

gavel – noun: a small mallet with which a judge hits a surface to call for attention or order

mulling – verb: to think about

opted – verb: to make a choice

speak from my (one’s) heart – idiom: to speak or say something with deep emotional sincerity

bailiff – noun: an official in a court of law who keeps order, looks after prisoners

locked eyes – idiom: to stare into the eyes of someone who is staring back into your eyes

decision – noun: a conclusion or resolution reached after consideration

soul searching – noun: deep and anxious consideration of one’s emotions and motives or of the correctness of a course of action

counseling – noun: assistance and guidance in resolving personal, social, or psychological problems and difficulties, especially by a professional.

entitled – adjective: having a right to something

Question ( s ):

Which is more important to you? Justice or forgiveness?

Would it make a difference if it involved a family member?

Silent World

( Intermediate Level )

I recently had the pleasure of meeting a wonderful and inspirational person whose outlook on life is immense. Her disability never stopped her.

When Agnes was born the doctors discovered she could not hear. To what extent her hearing loss was, they were unsure. The doctor would order testing to be done in the next few weeks.

Her mother was devastated as Agnes was her first child. “Was it something I did, Doctor?” Her mother asked. “I must go home and tell my husband, her father, that our first child is deaf.”

“No one can tell you for certain why these things happen but I can assure you that Agnes will grow up just fine. She will be a bit slower to develop some skills but she will do just fine.”

“You and your husband will have to find ways to keep her interested in learning and I will research this school I recently read about. You can communicate through sign language. It is a visual communication using gestures, facial expressions, and your hands.”

“Once I know about this school and what it offers, I will have my nurse call you and give you the contact information. It would be best if both you and your husband learn this together along with your daughter. This way both of you can be an active part in her development.”

“Alright Doctor. I will wait until I hear from your office and go from there. My husband and I wanted to have a few more children but I figure working with Agnes will be time-consuming and having more children may not be the best situation all around.”

“Maybe not right away but I do not see why you couldn’t have more children in the future. Maybe in a year or two. If you work with her and sign her up at this school she will learn quickly.”

Mildred left the office with Agnes in her arms. She blames herself for Agnes even though the doctor was uncertain. She was determined to do everything in her power to give her a fighting chance to be as normal as other children.

This is exactly what she and her husband did. They gave their daughter all the tools to grow up just as normal as others without the ability to hear. They enrolled her in the school as soon as they earned the first year of tuition and she reached age one.

When she turned ten, if still enrolled, she would have the opportunity to stay in the dorms with others like her. It would give Agnes a sense of acceptance the school told her mother.

Now at ninety-three years old, Agnes looks back and realizes the sacrifices her parents made for her. She counsels new parents who have found out that their children are hearing impaired.

With the world of new technology and teaching methods, it is much easier for a child to learn than it was for her. Agnes now uses a special tablet to speak to these parents. Laughing as she remembers how difficult it was at first to use it.

In an interview once, she tells us a story she was reminded of. A story about a single mother who she met about thirty years ago. This woman was a single mother and the cards were already stacked against her for this. She wanted to give her son up for adoption because of his deafness.

She sat down with her tablet and typed away. The words came quickly and with passion,” I understand how you feel. My parents felt the same when they were told of my inability to hear and that was over forty years ago. They didn’t want to give me up but they felt defeated. My mother blames herself for my deafness.” Agnes shutters when she realizes how many years have passed.

“Giving up on yourself and your son is an easy way to get out of a hard place you’re in. The result will be forever. Are you truly wanting to put your son up for adoption?” This mother looked up at Agnes with sad eyes and shook her head no.

In the end, the mother kept her son. Agnes helped her learn sign language and in turn, could help her son learn. This woman’s life was turned around by what Agnes said to her through the words she typed. At the age of ten, the boy came and lived in the dorms.

Agnes wants people to understand the last but not least message: “Even though my world is silent doesn’t mean I am all that different from you. If I made it in this world then anyone can.”

Written By: Angel

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Twitter: AngelOfTheMorn5

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And the newly launched website: topenwithangel.com

Thoughts From Angel:

I am amazed when people overcome a disability and succeed.

If you appreciate what I do “Buy Me A Coffee.”

https://ko-fi.com/morningangel84721345

Vocabulary:

inspirational – adjective: providing or showing inspiration

extent– noun: the size or scale of something

devastated – verb: overwhelming shock or grief

assure – verb: tell someone something positively or confidently 

development – noun: the process of starting to experience

time-consuming – adjective: taking a lot of or too much time

tuition – noun: a sum of money charged for teaching or instruction by a school

dorms – noun: a residence hall providing rooms for individuals or for groups usually without private baths

acceptance – noun:  the quality or state of being accepted or acceptable 

counsels – verb: give advice

hearing impaired – adjective: people with any degree of hearing loss

cards were (are) already stacked– idiom: a situation in which one person or group is disadvantaged or faces difficult circumstances

adoption – noun: the act of adopting or making it your own

deafness -noun: the condition of not being able to hear

defeated – adjective: demoralized and overcome by adversity

shutters – verb: visible signs of disbelief

Question ( s ):

Do you know anyone with a disability or a handicap?

If so, has it stopped them from achieving their life goals?

Jackson

body of water surrounded by trees

( Intermediate Level )

Kenny and his wife, Jill, had taken their vacation this year at the same time. It coincided with their boy’s summer vacation from school. Michael, ten, would be going to be in fourth grade and Jackson, eight, would be starting second grade in September.

This year, their plans were to camp out at their favorite lake in the mountains. This was a quiet place for them to unwind from their busy city life.

Both Kenny and Jill were attorneys and their schedules were always conflicting with their life at home. Not this year. They are making a point to put their lives and boys first.

Friday after work, Kenny started packing the car with everything his wife had packed. From extra clothing to fishing gear and food. They had plans to leave out at six in the morning since it was going to be a four-hour drive.

This would allow them to arrive in plenty of time to set up their camp and have some daylight hours to enjoy. Michael and Jackson were eager for the next day’s plans and their parents had a difficult time getting them to sleep.

The boys were up at five in the morning and ready to go. “After breakfast guys, mommy and daddy need their coffee.” Kenny smiled at his wife who had just gotten up out of bed ten minutes earlier.

Finally, it was time to leave and the boys were the first to get in the car and have their seatbelts secured. “Let’s go!” They chanted together. “We’re coming.” their mom replied as she checked the door one last time to make sure it was locked.

The four-hour drive went by fast. The boys occupied their time by having car games such as slug bug or how many red cars can you count. Mom didn’t care for the game slug bug since it involved punching the other every time they had seen a Volkswagen beetle. Jackson always cried since his brother punched harder.

Once they arrived they chose to set up camp near the beach area. It was a little rocky but not bad enough to hurt your feet if you went barefoot. This area would allow them great access to swimming or fishing. Whatever they chose to do that day.

The boys ran around and explored their new home for the week as mom and dad set up camp. “Not too close to the water, ok boys. Your father and I are busy setting up and we cannot watch you.”

You heard them in the distance. “Yes, mom.” The boys found an array of bugs as they wandered. These two were just like any other typical boy where ominous creatures intrigued them, picking each up and getting a closer look at them.

Michael would throw each bug once he finished observing it, at his younger brother. “Stop or I am going to tell mom.” Jackson’s threats didn’t scare him. They kept exploring until they heard their mom calling.” Boys. It’s lunchtime.”

Sandwiches and chips were served for lunch. Kenny was hoping to catch a few fish for dinner that night. “Boys after lunch, let’s try to catch some fish for dinner.” Both agreed and a challenge was inevitable.

“I bet you, dad, I can catch the most fish and the biggest” Michael smiled as he challenged his father. “What about me?” asked Jackson. “Of course, you can be part of this too.” dad said as he rubbed the top of Jackson’s head.

As the men headed out to fish for the afternoon, Jill planned on reading her book. A quiet afternoon without the boys and her husband sounded wonderful to her. She had started this particular book over six months back but never found the time to read it with the demands of her family and work.

The trio arrived at the bank of the lake. Michael wanted to get his line in the water as soon as he could. He was determined to win this challenge. Jackson had to have his hook baited by his dad. He was not fond of putting a worm on the hook.

Both Michael and his dad had caught three fish each but Jackson hadn’t caught a single one. He became bored and quit fishing. He wandered off to explore as his father and brother continued to fish.

“We are going to have plenty of fish for tonight and probably tomorrow too,” Kenny said as he looked at Michael. “Where’s Jackson?” He looked but he couldn’t see any signs of him.

“Michael, Where is your brother? Did you see which way he walked? Michael shrugged his shoulders as he uttered, “I dunno.”

“Jackson!,” His father began to yell his name. Nothing. No response. “Michael, grab the fish and take the fishing poles back to camp where mom is. I am going to look for your brother.”

As his dad started to run off he yelled back to Michael, “Let mom know what is happening and tell her not to worry.” Michael grabbed up the fish and the gear and headed back to the campsite.

“Hi Honey, where are dad and your brother?” Michael told his mom what was happening and instantly she became panicked. Jackson was only eight. He was her baby.

There wasn’t anything Jill or Michael could do but sit at their camp waiting on any word from either her husband or Jackson.

Kenny searched by the lake hoping his son hadn’t fallen in, no signs of any footprints or him so he began to head towards the woods. He knew Jackson loved animals and could easily be distracted by a bird or a rabbit.

All along he yelled, “Jackson? Jackson? Where are you?” He stopped periodically in hopes he would hear a response or even hear him crying. Nothing.

The sun would be setting soon and the urgency to find Jackson was heightened. Kenny knew he couldn’t go back to camp without Jackson in tow.

Just as he began to give up all hope of finding him while it was still light enough to see, he spotted something ahead near a fallen log. It was orange in color and he couldn’t quite make out what it was.

it was obviously something that didn’t fit into the surroundings. It was too bright in color. He tried to remember what Jackson was wearing but he failed to pay attention.

His footsteps quickened to see what this object was. As he approached a huge sigh escaped him as it was Jackson. He had fallen asleep propped up against the fallen tree.

He bent down so as to not startle him and gently woke him up. “Oh. Hi, Dad.” as he yawned. Jackson was oblivious to how he had made him worry so.

“Well you scared me and I imagine your mom is worried to death. We need to head back to camp so she knows you are ok.”

Jackson stood up and grabbed his dad’s hand. Jackson told his dad about this small red dog that he followed until he disappeared. “I sat quietly hoping it would come out of hiding and I must have fallen asleep.” Kenny listened to his son’s description of the animal and he figured it was a fox.

They headed back to camp, hand in hand. Kenny was relieved that everything was fine and his son was safe. It would be a story to tell in the future and most likely become exaggerated each time the story was told.

Written By: Angel

Follow me On:

Instagram: morningangel847

Twitter: AngelOfTheMorn5

Meta Business Suite: Angel’s Thoughts to Pen

Coming 8-8-2022: topenwithangel.com

Thoughts From Angel:

I loved to explore the outdoors, like Michael and Jackson. My imagination took me to many far-away places, not just the backyard.

The innocence of childhood is precious.

If you appreciate what I do “Buy Me A Coffee”

https://ko-fi.com/morningangel84721345

Vocabulary:

coincided – verb: occur at the same time

unwind – verb: relax after a period of work or tension

conflicting – adjective: incompatible; contradictory

eager – adjective: wanting to do or have something 

barefoot – adjective: wearing nothing on the feet

ominous – adjective: scary or unknown

observing – verb: to notice

inevitable – adjective: certain to happen

trio – noun: a set or group of three people or things

dunno – slang: do not know

distracted – adjective: unable to concentrate

periodically – adverb: from time to time

urgency– noun: importance requiring immediate action

heightened – adjective: intense

in tow – idiom: accompanying or to follow someone

pay attention– idiom: to concentrate on

quickened – verb: become faster or quicker

worried to death – idiom: extremely anxious

exaggerated – adjective: represented as larger, better, or worse than in reality

Question ( s ):

When you were a child, had you ever become lost?

I Am Me

young woman with pink hair sitting on aged car roof

( Intermediate Level )

“Isn’t it ironic how society or your family tells you how to act, what you should look like, or even what you should become but in the same breath they tell you to be a leader and not a follower?”

“Why can’t I just be me?” She had asked this question dozens of times to her teachers, her parents, or her boss at the burger shop where she worked part-time on weekends. Never once had she received a solid answer to this question?

“It is just how it is. People associate your looks with who you are. We know who you truly are but you are judged at first glance.” this was her mother’s go-to answer.

Those who really knew Shelby knew how smart, kind and honest she was. Others judge her without getting to know her. She felt this was unfortunate for them but it still bothers her. They were the ones who were missing out.

When she was out in any public setting, she tried not to draw attention to herself. It annoyed her but she would tell her friends, “It is what it is and I cannot change everyone’s mind.”

Shelby had a special relationship with her history teacher, Mr. Barkley. He would tell her there were many famous women in history who people thought were odd or silly but they turned out to be movers and shakers in the world. He always had a way of making her feel better.

See, what people didn’t know about Shelby she was in the top five percent of her class and she was in the running for class valedictorian. This honor is given to a student with the highest academic achievements.

Sometime this week or early next week it will be announced. The students had completed their last exams and those marks would be tallied to see who had won.

Shelby was home on Friday night surfing the internet on her laptop. She had finished all her homework earlier and really didn’t want to watch a movie with her parents. She made her rounds to all her favorite social media platforms, making comments or liking her friends’ posts.

Her last stop would be her emails before she showered and headed to bed. She noticed she had an email from her school and was curious.

She read, “Congratulations Shelby! We are proud to announce you are this year’s Valedictorian. You are expected to give the farewell address to the graduating seniors this year, so please prepare for this and allow us to review it before graduation.” It was signed by the principal of her school.

She took her laptop out to the living room where she knew her parents were. She could hear the television still on. “Mom, Dad, I have something for you to read.” She handed her laptop over to her mother.

Both her parents read the email at the same time and her mother squealed with delight. ” I am so very proud of you Honey. I know you’ve been working very hard all year long.”

Shelby headed back to her bedroom. She had showered and lay on her bed thinking of what she would say in her speech. She could be like all others in the past. Wishing everyone the best for their future but she wanted to speak from her heart.

She was up early the next morning and ate a quick bowl of oatmeal. She went to her desk to begin writing her speech. Shelby was old school when it came to writing. She used paper and a pencil.

She started many drafts but found she didn’t like how they sounded. She crumpled up pieces of paper all around the floor by the waste paper basket next to her desk.

Her mom knocked on her door lightly to see if she wanted breakfast with her and her dad. “No mom, I had some oatmeal already.” Her mom popped her head in the door about this time.

“Oh my, what happened here? It looks like a hurricane hit.” Shelby laughed and looked at her mom. “I am not having any luck with my speech. I don’t want to sound like a robot nor do I want to sound fake.”

“Don’t force it, Dear. The words will come to you,” She kissed Shelby’s forehead, picked up the crumpled papers that hadn’t made their way to the trash, then headed out to cook breakfast for her and her husband.

Her mom was right. Shelby took a break and went for a walk. This helped her clear her mind. She sat outside just watching people. Some who walked by her looked and then walked faster or they commented to those who walked with them.

That evening over dinner her mom asked her how the speech was going. “ I took a break. I will go back to writing again after dinner. I will have it done by Monday I am sure of this.”

After dinner, Shelby excused herself from the table. “If you need me, Mom, I will be in my room. I can help you with the dishes.” “No, It will be fine. You need to concentrate on that speech of yours.”

Shelby settled down at her desk and began to write and the words flowed through her pencil to the paper. her. She read it and reread it then shared it with her parents.

They felt she had spoken well and from the heart. She returned to her room and tucked it away until Monday when she would turn it in for approval.

On Monday afternoon the principal had called for her to come to the office. He handed back her speech to her and told her,” It was written eloquently and with great care. Great job!”

The week went by fast enough. Friday evening at seven the graduation commencement would be held on the sports field. Chairs would be set on the field and a small stage would go into place. Many of the seniors volunteered to help set up for the event.

Shelby and her parents had an early dinner on Friday night. After the ceremony, if they were hungry they could go out for dessert and coffee. For now, Shelby needed to get ready and arrive forty-five minutes earlier.

The evening was filled with excitement mixed with sadness. Some of her classmates will be going out of state to attend the college they chose. It was the end of one chapter and the start of a new one for all of them.

“Tonight we are here to celebrate our seniors. It is a time when they find out who they are and take the tools we have taught them and put them into good use. I wish all of them the very best. Without further ado let me introduce this year’s valedictorian, Shelby Mecham.”

You could hear her classmates say,” You go girl!” as the audience clapped. The bleachers were full of family members and friends of the graduating class. Shelby’s parents were on the top row hoping to have a better view.

Shelby stood there with confidence. She put her speech on the podium in front of her and adjusted the microphone.”Thank you all for coming tonight to celebrate with us.”

“As valedictorian, I can wish everyone the best in life and tell them they would be missed. They know they will. As much as we say we will keep in touch with one another our lives will drift apart.”

“During this time of our lives, we discovered who we are and what direction we will choose. Some of us will be wise in our choices and some of us will not.” She glanced around at her classmates and smiled, stopping at those who hadn’t taken high school as seriously.

“It is ok when we fail. We learn from our mistakes. Eventually, we will get it right. If not, we can always live with our parents for the rest of our lives.” She laughed along with the audience.

“If I can give all of you, my classmates and those in the audience, one bit of advice I would tell you not to judge anyone by how they look without getting to know them first.”

“My parents are the best in the world. They let me be me. I have pink hair this week and maybe next week I may have blue. I chose to have artwork on my arm. This is how I express myself. “

“Do these things make me a bad person? Do these things say I will be a bum in society? No, they don’t. They show I have the confidence to be who I want to be.”

“So, the next time you see someone who is like me don’t judge them, instead get to know them. I am standing up here on the stage tonight as this year’s valedictorian. If I was someone that was, in your eyes, a bad person, I would not even graduate. I am me.”

“Let’s get to the ceremony at hand. I know my fellow classmates want to get this chapter closed. Thank you again for coming.” As she ended her address everyone stood and clapped. Her classmates cheered. and whistled.

She glanced to the top row of the bleachers to see her parents smiling and clapping. Her dad blew her a kiss.

Written By: Angel

Follow Me On:

Instagram: morningangel847

Twitter: AngelOfTheMorn5

Meta Business Suite: Angel’s Thoughts to Pen

Coming soon: topenwithangel.com

Thoughts From Angel:

I am far from perfect. I am guilty of judging someone on their appearance or my first impression of them. I can say that most of us have at one time or another in our lifetime. I can tell you honestly I have been wrong on many occasions.

If you appreciate what I do “Buy Me A Coffee”

https://ko-fi.com/morningangel84721345

Vocabulary:

in the same breath – idiom: at the same time

associate – verb: connect (someone or something) with something else in one’s mind

go-to – adjective: a person or thing that may be relied on

unfortunate – adjective: bad fortune; unlucky

movers and shakers – idiom: a powerful person who initiates events and influences people

valedictorian – noun: typically having the highest academic achievements in the class

achievements – noun: a thing done successfully, typically by effort, courage, or skill

surfing the internet – (uncountable noun): to browse or move from site to site randomly

farewell address – noun: a speech delivered by someone upon leaving

squealed with delight – verb phrase: make a high-pitched sound when you become excited

old school – noun: something that is old-fashioned or traditional

drafts – noun: a preliminary version of a piece of writing

crumpled up – idiom: to crush a piece of paper until all of it is destroyed

fake – adjective: not real

flowed – verb: a steady stream

eloquently -adverb: persuasive manner

commencement – noun: a ceremony in which degrees or diplomas are given to graduating students

bleachers – noun: noun: a cheap bench seat at a sports arena

podium – noun: a small platform that a person uses to set their papers when giving a speech

Question ( s ):

Have you judged someone on their appearance or your first impression of them?

Were you wrong?