Good day to everyone! February, a time for love and madness, and, Black History (and my mother's birthday!). Weather is funky. Some look forward to celebrating with their special other, some rant because they don't have one. This month, leaning into spring, is one that feels like an "in between" month in the whole of the year. It's still winter, but we are teased at times with blue skies, then plunged back into gray. And we're all waiting for the cold to warm and the buds to begin showing their green promises of spring. And the ground hog doesn't help at all! Black History Month gives more meaning to February for me and I enjoy learning from all the resources that now abound about that missing part of this country's heritage.
Since I'm on break from writing, I've been concentrating on my other work with children (in before/after school programs with the YWCA) and find these little precious beings filling my soul. I am blessed to be appreciated by them, that they feel safe with me and my colleagues. Living on the edge of, well, fear-unrest-nervousness about Covid, we have to make sacrifices every day for their safety and ours and they do, too. I hate it for them, but am also glad because they still get to come to school. They still get this time to catch up on what they missed the years before. They are learning again to socialize and be a part of something bigger than themselves: their community. So far we haven't had to close any programs! Our parents are being wonderful and understanding and trusting us to help care for their children when they need us to do so. I feel like this work is helping me grow as a person (and it helps give me my "Kiddy " fix since my only grandchild lives in France!)
I wanted to share this and Black History Month with you, because I'm so very, very, VERY tired of "bad" news all the time. I can't stand to listen to most of it anymore because it's so off balance of "real" life. I DO read CNN's "Good News" newsletter every weekend and smile every time. It is so nice to read something positive and to see how many really beautiful/wonderful/gentle/loving people there are in the world. I count all of you IWSG'ers among them. You make me feel special and a part of something really good and much bigger than myself. I thank you for that and for being who you are.
The IWSG question of the month is: Is there someone who influenced or supported you that perhaps isn't around anymore? Anyone you miss?
Yes. My father. My Dad was a writer and great reader all my life. I've already mentioned on a different post here how, when we were kids our father had us write short one page stories for our allowance. He would then read them with us and correct our spelling or whatever. When I decided to listen to my soul and write, he was my greatest supporter (my mom too!) and he encouraged me, not only to write, but gave me the facts of how hard it would be. I miss him more than words can convey.
Please go and visit our co-hosts this month and thank them for helping out!
Joylene Nowell Butler, Jacqui Murray, Sandra Cox,Lee Lowery!
So, I hope February, BLACK HISTORY MONTH, is not just an "in between" month for you and that you find something precious and positive in it this year. Happy February!
