I shared how
Miss. Rowe was beyond beautiful. I
recall her being 25-years of age. She had long blond hair, green eyes (I think
they were green), a body like Beyonce and skin the color of bronze. And if that
wasn’t enough, our classroom was scented with her favorite perfumes; she had
this sweet southern drawl similar to Delta Burkes on the television show,
“designing women.”
I would like
to note: I’m not suggesting that being blond made her beautiful…the fact of the
matter is Miss. Rowe was simply a beautiful woman.
Anyways,
like most grade school classrooms there were challenging students but Miss.
Rowe had a way about her that was very non-traditional. She utilized a lot of
positive re enforcement techniques; never raising her voice or succumbing to
the use of idle threats.
It was there
in her classroom that I was introduced to my lifelong favorite book, “Where the Wild Things Are.” She read that book to us every week and each
time felt like the first. In addition, Miss. Rowe would bring in homemade
cupcakes, pies and cookies just because. And we were rewarded with candy and
gold stars for performing exceptionally well.
As I
continued to reminisce about my season with Miss. Rowe, what stood out most was
how one weekend per month she would bring me and three fellow class mates to
her home for a weekend celebration. I believe this adventure started as a trip
to the Circus or Disney on Ice; a reward for our good behavior. All parents agreed to allow us to participate
in the sleep over for added celebration.
Her life
style was a reflection of her being a beautiful single woman in the 1970’s; a
charming two bedroom condo with a view, a sexy car, a oversized swimming pool
and plenty of space for us girls to have a ball. We would indulge in pizza, hamburgers,
or tacos for dinner and snack on popcorn, candy and ice cream while watching
The Brady Bunch, The Partridge Family and various other 70’s favorites. The
very next morning, Miss. Rowe would make Pancakes, Waffles or French toast; no cold
cereal or oatmeal for her girls.
After a
hearty breakfast we would swim in her pool or go to the park. She devoted every
moment to us (reading to us, board games, painting, coloring…etc). Miss. Rowe
treated every one of us like PRINCESES. That scenario was played out one
weekend each month for an entire year. Going to her home for me was equivalent
to being at Disneyland.
As I grew into
womanhood, I found myself asking, “Why did she give back on such a profound
level?” I have pondered over numerous responses which have yielded no solid
conclusion.
All four
students were raised in the suburbs not the inner city; upper middle class
families. All four girls represented various ethnicities. I don’t feel as
though Miss. Rowe believed she was somehow saving us from deprivation or
exposing us to experiences that were inaccessible. Perhaps, just perhaps, she did
all that she could do and gave all that she could give simply because she loved
her students!!!
It is my
hope that one day in the near future to reconnect with Miss. Rowe and let her
know that the gifts she extended to those four little girls had an impact far
beyond what she could have imagined. The love she extended is stored in a
special “safe” within my heart. I like so many others am forever grateful that
GOD blessed our fourth grade class with an ANGEL.
Love, Peace
and Endless Joy,
Author-Mary E. Gilder
Mary E. Gilder
is the author of the award winning novel, “A
Misrepresentation of Myself. And
her soon to be sophomore release, “Even
a Man Can Have a Broken Heart.” In
addition, Mary Gilder is available for speaking engagements. She can
be contacted at bookclubs.maryegilder@yahoo.com or at meg@maryegilder.com. Also, visit her website at www.maryegilder.com.
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