School's Out, Summer's Begun

It's been a particularly wet Spring and early Summer, resulting in
green grass, trees, flowers and spectacular cloud formations.
Rain makes everything grow and the sky, when it clears, is breath-taking.
The Brigham City temple literally glows when the sunsets, 

which seems a fitting shot for the beginning of my final week at Box Elder High. 

This temple, again, is right up the street from the high school. 

I drive past it twice a day, but have never been inside.  Nearly every day I've also worked 2 jobs,

driving approximately 30 miles each way, leaving Logan between 5 and 6 am.

Returning before 5 pm so I can coach Japanese on line out of North Carolina.  

Weekends are for laundry, cooking meals for a week, family, and so forth. 

It's been quite a ride, but I must say, I probably would never have exited. Why?

Have you met the students?  

They're the reason teachers do what they do!

Graduation night was Friday, which created a 16 hour day 

by the time I made it home from Weber State College. 

Playing my part as BEHS faculty, I was able to witness

the happiest of days for a few of my favorite seniors, like RJ, 

who moved here from Pennsylvania.

It's been a tearful week of grading, wrapping up, cleaning up, and letting my room fill up 

with members of the Days and Knights Club, who camp out there most days during lunch.

Our last day of essay writing on Wednesday was based on 

claims founded in themes from The Great Gatsby, but

after that, students, past and current, stopped in to 

watch the rest of the movie, eat snacks,

sign each other's yearbooks and my journal. 

One note, written by a favorite, non-conforming student, brought tears:

Another brought her baby by to see me.  I still remember when she recorded 

 that she was expecting in her journal.  So proud of her for finishing

out that last semester in our L.A. class, and now, 

committing to graduate next year!  Volumes could be written

about students who have filled my heart with

joy and awe, as well as driven me crazy!!!

Now it's time to focus on what's next, like Camp with the Young Women

in my neighborhood church.  I'm their Camp Leader--ha ha!

I do not camp.  Despite making that very clear,  

they asked me to do it anyway.  The cool part is, I'll have a bunch of new

young friends living close by to do crafts, make cookies and so forth!

Jordan and Karli are hanging with friends in Cabo, Mexico this week and then back to pursuing their dreams in Los Angeles.  I'll drop in on them around July 4th, after a week of camping!

Also of top priority, I haven't had enough time to devote to coaching Japanese.  I started with this awesome school the same semester as teaching full-time, and have struggled to keep up with both jobs.  Now it can be a more prominent part of my working life 

and I don't have to leave the house to do it!  

That's all for the best, since there are health issues I've been ignoring for decades.

Ah, life after 50...  I'm hoping all is well, but taking steps 

(aka: the barrage of check-ups every responsible adult should have) 

to see what's what and go from there.  

The first exam (which I don't care to go into) 

proved successful and I'm happy to say that part of my body

passed that procedure with an A+!  YAY!! 

 Last, but not least, it's time for Twinkle, Luna and all of her friends to come to life!  

http://jesakuranoyume.blogspot.com/p/twinkle-and-luna.html is all about them--how the book

was created, what's published and ready, and what's next....

Seasons Change

Next Saturday my son and his darling wife, Jordan & Karli, take off for sunny Los Angeles, California.  Her father, Rich Hall, generously flying in from Everett, Washington, will drive the truck with their belongings toward their new place in LA, as their apartment in Provo watches the couple that made it charming leave.  Naturally, I’m superimposing my own feelings onto the place, but honestly, there’s no way any new occupant will know how to make their home within its walls nearly as appealing.  

I’ll stay behind, waving from the parking lot, both overflowing with memories, but I’m the only one capable of tears. Unlike the building, however, I can and will visit them soon, which reminds me of the holiday following their departure--Easter.  Any farewell is painful when loved ones part, but how much more devastating are the separations brought on by bad choices and/or death. 

Without the glorious reality of the Atonement and Resurrection of our Savior, so many years ago, those partings would bring inconsolable woe.  Instead, Jesus did Atone for our every misstep and mortal pain, arose from death, and opened a golden pathway of hope for each and every one of us.  

No loss or broken bond need ever be permanent, as we choose to faithfully align our mortal journeys with His.  No matter how far off we seem to be, the way back to who and what we love is right there waiting for our return. 

How fitting then, that traditionally, Easter is celebrated with rainbows, bunnies, 

flowers and other reminders of the return of life after Winter’s seeming death.  

My hope and faith is bound up in this undying promise. Remember, contrary to the theme of pop culture, the truth is that nothing good ever really dies, and love is the only thing that lasts.