Role Models

Hi Gang,
Sorry this is late - I guess late is better than never! My home has been invaded by the H1N1 Virus and it's been crazy here for the last few days.

Role Models

1. Teachers. I had so many wonderful teachers. They taught me to read and to love books. I loved watching them move around the classrooms, sprinkle fish food into the aquarium, water the plants, and tidy their desks. I thought how wonderful it would be to be them, to have the power to do whatever I wanted to do at school. I did follow their footsteps and enjoyed the classroom scene immensely.
2. My Mother. I think of her every day. She was the kindest, most thoughtful person I ever knew. Her life was a role model of peace and goodness.
3. My Grandmothers. Both were homemakers, great cooks, and outstanding storytellers. I remember sitting at their sides and listening as they relayed the family stories.
4. MySunday School Teachers. It always amazed me that they seemed to love me so much. I really didn't love them, or ususally even being in Sunday School, but they showed such love for their students that it made us want to listen and go back. And I still go to Sunday School and my teacher is very loving. I guess some things never change.
5. Mildred. My best friend's mother was the most efficient person I ever knew. Her house was always spotless, meals delicious and on time, car clean and tidy. She always had time to host dinner parties and work at community affairs. I admired her for all of that go-power.
6. Nancy Drew. How fun it would have been to have been as independent as Nancy Drew. When I was a teenager and always had to scrimp and save for special things, worked at home for a paltry allowance, and had to ask permission to go to a friend's house, Nancy was driving her little red sports car all over the country. She boarded airplanes and trains, checked in and out of hotels, and always had lots of money. She didn't seem to need any adults in her life. How cool was that!
7. The First Author I ever met. And I don't even remember her name. She wrote a memoir of her tragic life and spoke at a women's conference I attended. Her book was thin, probably self-published. I read it and felt her pain. When I met her, I wanted to throw my arms around her in a big hug and tell her how happy I was that she was still alive. But when I approached her with a smile and "I loved your book!" she stepped back and looked at me like I was a cockroach. I didn't understand. I felt that I knew her intimately from her book and placed her among my best friends. She didn't return the feelings I had developed as a reader. Now when I visit people who have read my books and tell me how much they like the books or characters, I thank them and laugh with them about the incidents in the book. I guess I learned from this woman's coolness.
8. Little Girls at Camp - I worked as a cabin mom when my daughter went to summer camp. I was so impressed with the sweet little girls (9 & 10 yr-olds) They helped each other and had the sweetest little dispositions. I felt I needed to grow and be more like them.
9. Jimmy Carter - what a hero. With all his fame and money, he has spent years hammering away at homes for the poor. He and his wife will surely have a special place in heaven.
10. Missionaries who go to Africa. I listen to missionaries who risk life and limb to help the people in Africa. They know about the dangers of disease, bandits, and wild animals, yet they bravely go. I wish I could be more like them.