Parent/teacher conferences are being held at the middle school this week, and I’m scheduled to see my eighth grader’s teachers tomorrow. Evie’s a good student and pretty independent when it comes to managing her time and completing her assignments.
Oh, those endless projects! But she’s 12–her room is a mess, she spends a lot of time listening to music and not enough time sleeping, and she can be moody, moody, moody, hugging me one minute, rolling her eyes at me the next. I want to make sure her mild rebelliousness at home isn’t spilling over into her school life.
Miss Emily M. Brown of Plaquemine, Louisiana, must have known what was on my mind. Her letter reached me this morning: “Dear Colleen, Please accept the enclosed for your girls. Peace be with you.”
Miss Emily had written out in longhand two “ABC Pages,” advice she has been giving out since December 1999. I’ll give a copy to Evie when I get home this evening and will mail Lulu hers at college. For a student of any age, I present Miss Emily’s ABC’s:
- A is for Accepting the fact that life isn’t easy.
- B is for Believing in yourself–if you try, you can do it.
- C is for Concentrating on your goals and dreams.
