It may not be typical of most first graders, but I found out early on what subjects in school I preferred over others. Story time was the highlight of my day; I never understood the “gate” method in tallying five points; phonics became boring; and science was rough, because once in an experiment in which we were blindfolded, our partner had to give us something to taste. We were to tell by taste (not sight) what the food was and which area of the taste buds it affected. My friend Kym gave me a nice spoonful of dry coffee. I guess it was paybacks for giving her lemon juice when she told me that is not what she wanted to taste. (We could preview our options before being blindfolded.)
Yep, first grade was a year of exploration and I learned that writing was my favorite. In my mind, I excelled at it: perfect spelling, thought sequence and transition sentences and narrative form. I took great pride in all my writing projects. This particular example was no exception.
Our class was having a Mother’s Day party where all Moms and Grandmas were invited to attend. Our teacher gave us this special assignment: We were to write a letter to our Mom and then share it in front of the class. I remember Mom sitting in the crowd smiling at me. With trembling hands, I began to read my letter–
I think I could have excelled at poetry if I had given some effort into the subject. And while I remember hearing a few chuckles in the crowd (innocent ones I am sure), Mom was smiling and gave me a big hug and kiss when I sat down.
Mom, I can’t honestly say that I know how you managed to keep a smile and not laugh, but I think we can just face the facts: You’re pretty “supper!”
Happy Mother’s Day!
My Life with NF2 