Great Expectations

Gratitude Year 12 - Day 71: Today, I am grateful for great expectations.

What an amazing description of March.

"It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the winds blow cold: when it is summer in the light, and winter in the shade." -Charles Dickens, Great Expectations

I believe we read the book, "Great Expectations," in the 8th Grade with Miss Rosie Chalfant. Some of my Nash Jr. High/ CHS classmates may be able to confirm or deny that memory. Perhaps Dickens was an early influence on my love of descriptive language. Miss Evelyn Schlie led us through a "Tale of Two Cities" in high school.

Miss Margaret Mills was our leader through Shakespeare, and she would have had it no other way. "MacBeth" was so witty, once we started to understand the language. And "The Scarlet Letter" by Nathaniel Hawthorne, I have reread parts of it as an adult. It is classic literature and points to the fact that people do not really change that much over the centuries. The clothing and language may change, but choices driven by love, deception, power struggles, family feuds, economic challenges, and bribery are the same.

I am grateful my English teachers had great expectations for us. Many from my days at Central High School have gone on to use the power of their words for good, for entertainment, and to research and record history, to interpret the law, and to write well because our Language Arts teachers would not let us be defeated by difficult language.

I failed to mention two very special teachers. My 6th grade teacher, Ms. Pat Braun-Schroeder, was the first to encourage me to write and embrace my love of words. She knew me. I baby-sat for her children and loved being with her. She gave me one of my most treasured books... a Thesaurus with a warning that words could be powerful and I should choose and use them wisely. I am so grateful we have stayed connected over these many years. She was my first real mentor and today I count her as a friend.

Last but not least, forget Mrs. Clara Schroeder, who taught Language Arts to a class of squirrely seventh graders at tables in the Library. I remember assignments where she turned us loose in the midst of the books. I think she longed to instill a love of reading in us and she did. She sparked our curiosity, too. She had great expectations.

Great teachers see our potential. They walk with us through the learning curves. They encourage us to learn and grow from our struggles. They expect it.

We can cling to the great expectation we have because of our hope in Jesus. He conquered death so we might be redeemed. We have a priceless inheritance.

"All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation, and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay " -1 Peter 1:3

Today, I am grateful for great expectations.

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21Jan Smith, Cynthia Jennings Andrews and 19 others