A Different Perspective

I noticed people posting TGIF on their Facebook entries today and thought to myself, "It's Friday?" That is one of the things that happens to me when summer vacation hits, I don't know what day of the week it is and I certainly couldn't tell you the date! Well that's not quite true - today is June 25th and I know this because yesterday was the 24th, my Gracie's second birthday. We began our morning with her. Actually, she's in France - lives there with her parents - but through the wonder of iChat we were able to sing "Happy Birthday" and watch her open her present from us, a tricycle! Thank you Amazon.fr! Oh we miss her, but we are so very thankful for the gift of technology that allows us to see and experience her life in real time!

It is certainly different to live overseas these days. When we first left the states, I determined to stay in contact with my family so I began writing 'family letters' using six sheets of typing paper, carbon paper, and my manual typewriter! Good grief! It has not been 30 years yet but when was the last time anyone had a thought about a typewriter. I tried to explain it to Kayla one day, telling her that I had to push a lever to get to the next line of type - she was so confused. Anyway, my family letters... I always felt sorry for the person who received copy number six and would try to rotate the receiver so that everyone had the opportunity of receiving a clear copy at some time during the year. But my mother always received the first copy, the truly typed copy. She was, and still is today, my hero! But that's another post.

My family letters were blogs of sorts, rambling entries of our days, cute sayings from the boys, odd moments of loneliness or happiness, depending on our state of being at the time. We were in Haiti when the internet became a true force in the modern world. We never thought it could work in Haiti - but it did - and it revolutionized communication in that poverty infected nation forever. What a tool it was post-earthquake. I spent literally hours every day connecting needs with resources via the internet. What a difference it made! A-m-a-z-i-n-g!

So... right... today is Friday, June 25, 2010. I normally write the date on the whiteboard in my classroom each morning. During school I know what day it is, what the date is... but now, I am enjoying my summer vacation. Every tiny moment I have! I'll get back to knowing the date in a few weeks.