Unlike my daughter, Bev, at "Blessed Beyond Measure" I'm having a difficult time with the quote, "It doesn't matter what is behind you, as much as it matters who is beside you". When Bev needed him most, God sent a wonderful and outstanding man to share life with. Surely they were destined to be together.

My story's nothing like hers. It was the people God put in my past who molded and strengthened me. It is impossible to choose only one person out of the many, who made the difference for me.

The first one I can remember was my Grandpa. As we walked along his garden rows, my short little legs could hardly keep up with his long ones.

It was fun finding ripe tomatoes with him, and pulling ears of corn, Sometimes we'd pick plums, or check out his peanut patch, but it wasn't just fresh vegetables or fruit that Grand Pa gave me.

Some of the most important things we learn, we sometimes get in round about ways. I was a little kid, and being with Grand Pa was just fun. Much later I realized how much he gave me.

Never did I hear him curse, or say anything bad, even if it was true, about anybody. We lived only about one generation after the Civil war, and racism still reigned. When poor people, black or white, needed food, milk, eggs, Grandpa gave them plenty. If he could, he found work for them to do.

He was a carpenter. One day he built a long skinny wooden box. While he worked on it, Grand Ma was busy at the sewing machine, making a silk like lining for it. Somebody's small child, or baby had died.

I realize I've mentioned this in previous posts, but hope you don't mind my repeating it. I learned a lot just trailing along behind my tall grand Pa, but the most important thing he passed on to me was when he bowed his lowest, kneeling at the church altar, with me right at his side. I was so little then. It would be years before I realized what treasures he gave, honesty and respect for others, no matter what their race.

Quite a few people influenced my religous beliefs. Well meaning neighbors, and a relative showed me about Christianity more by how they they lived, than what they said.

Over time I would understand that Jesus is Jesus, whether His likeness hangs from a Catholic cross or a Baptist or Methodist one, or any of several other denominations, or even a nondenominational church. I don't have to adopt a particular group of people's religious beliefs, but I'm real big on loving God's Son, and treating my neighbor like I'd like to be regarded.

As a child I often felt like an orphan, but knew when God adopted me, not without faults, but because of them. When I read about all that in the Bible, I feel somewhat like royalty.

My mother's sister taught me just as much as Grand Pa did. Her life style was much different than his. While he taught about growing food and farm animals, and the importance of faith and honesty, and helping your fellow man, Auntie taught me that sometimes women have to make a life without a man.

While working as a nurse's aide, she became involved with a married doctor, and that tragic mistake just about branded a Scarlet letter on her the rest of her life, and caused the daughter she bore to be branded as even worse.

When World War 11 happened, and nurses were desperately needed, Auntie became one. I lived with her a lot then. I'd see her in her sterile looking white uniform, and white shoes that seemed just as pure. Was there something symbolic about her choosing work that required such whiteness? While fastening a long row of pearl looking buttons, she would smile. This lady had made a terrible mistake, but she knew how to persevere.


Forty years later, I'm in nurses training one day as they're handing out awards. Guess which one they gave me. They called it the Golden Stethoscope Award, "for the student who, (that's right) most persevered.

What I learned most from her was that no matter how troublesome or difficult life might be, if I chose to, I could still be good natured, and happy. She taught me other things, important things, like learning to read, but it was her good natured disposition that she passed on to me, that I value most.

Several people encouraged or helped me believe I could be more educated. One who stands out more than others was a college instructor I somehow met. Please understand I had barely finished grade school.

This lady, who had taught so many students, would read my fledgling writing efforts, and not point out incorrect grammar or misspelled words, but encouraged me to take college courses.

Because she did that I signed up and took the entrance exam. When the college sent word it was time to enroll, I was stunned, but not too stunned to seize the opportunity.

My aunt taught me well about that, too. Once in a while we may be given a sweet serendipity. I realize I'm digressing here, but I love that word. The dictionary says it means a seeming gift for finding good things accidentally. I don't believe it's that, not at all. I believe whatever good lands in our path comes to us straight from God, but it's up to us what we do with it.

My aunt's huge personal mistake, her circumstances, or the time in which she lived did not define her, and mine haven't me.

She just kept putting that white starched and ironed uniform on, and going to work, and did the best she could with what she messed up, or life handed her, and I do, too. She taught me well.

She died in the sixties, and here I am now, still putting my uniform on, and going to work. Thank goodness they aren't starched and ironed anymore, and don't have all those little buttons to fasten.

I've been blessed more than many people I know. When I'm taking care of patients, some who have diseases that will eventually kill them, I think how fortunate I am that I only have to work. Every day they must deal with much worse.

I'm not eager for unexpected challenges, but my past ones have made me strong. I cannot imagine what or how I'd be, if my grand pa and aunt hadn't helped me form some life values, and the college instructor hadn't cared enough to see my capabilities, instead of my uneducated efforts to write. Many others helped, and I appreciate them all, but these stand out the most along a way, even today, I would not change.