Mary’s Minute
Words matter. Words have long been a treasure to me. Words are a powerful vehicle to help, to harm, or to bring enlightenment. Words can used in simple, practical ways that are also vitally important as they give direction and warn of danger. I love words and have long loved other people's words, as I enjoy sharing and collecting quotes. I had forgotten until this week where my appreciation for other people's words began. Mrs. Gondring was my senior English teacher. She made English literature come alive and always carried herself with the a quiet grace that defined her. When it came time to write a speech my senior year, I didn't turn to Google or one of the many websites devoted to quotes for inspiration. I didn't open one of my quote books since it was before I began my collection. Instead, sweet Mrs. Gondring loaned me her shoebox full of words she had clipped from magazines or jotted on scraps of paper. I smile thinking of how I had the honor of flipping through the hundreds of scraps that she had collected. That simple shoebox was a treasure box! The speech is long ago written and forgotten, but the gift Mrs. Gondring instilled in me lives on. Mrs. Gondring at 98 passed away this week. She was such an indelible blessing to Perry Central and to the world. I wish that I could find the words to express my appreciation for this special lady, but ironically I find myself at a loss of words for the woman who helped teach me the power of words.
Have a good week!
Mary
No comments:
Post a Comment