This past week, I received such a lovely email from one of my former exchange students. He is now a married man with 2 children. Hard to believe. He told me that in their home, they have a special wall devoted to family pictures, and among the pictures is a picture of my husband and me. Their daughter is 3, and their son will be 2 in February(they are busy!!!). He told me that he and his wife have told the children who we are, and their daughter will go to the wall, point to our picture and say, "Carl and Rhonda." When I read this, my heart melted.
A while back, I had to run a few errands with a friend of mine. I had told him about a book that I had recently read, and thought he might enjoy. He said, "bring it along, and read it to me while we drive." So, I did. Here was a grown man who listened as intently as a child while we drove and I read. He still talks about how much he enjoyed that day.
This same friend purchased a book for his daughter for Christmas. Once she had read the book, he brought it to me as he felt it was one that I too would enjoy. The story takes place in Oklahoma during the worst of the dust bowl. It's a fictional story, but it gives the reader a true look at how devastated the people were by what happened. The story is lovely, sad, joyous, and heartbreaking. The author, Karen Hesse writes for children, older children. The book is intended for children 9 and above. I was so taken by the book, and Ms. Hesse's style of writing that I wanted to read more of her work. So today, I am sharing two of her books.
The first book, Out of the Dust is the one that takes place in Oklahoma. The second is The Music of Dolphins. I've highlighted both titles so you can easily find them at Amazon. But, my recommendation would be to check them out at the library, read them, and then decide if they are something that you would like to share with your children or grandchildren.
Both books will take no longer than 3 hours to read. Once I began reading, I did not want to put them down. I hope you'll find the video review helpful in making a decision about whether you would like to read the books. I have enjoyed her storytelling so much so that I am planning to read two others, Witness, a story about the Ku Klux Klan's attempt to recruit members in a small town in Vermont in 1924. The other is A Light in the Storm. It's written as the diary of a child during the civil war, and discusses the true meaning of sacrifice for others. Both prove to be quite powerful.
I cease to be amazed by how a small, seemingly insignificant action can mean so much to another. When my former exchange student left for home at the end of his year with us, I thought I would most likely never see him again. He has now come to a place where he sees his time spent with us as a turning point in his life. "Had it not been for you...," he has said.
Every moment is precious.
To be human is to live for tomorrow. Why does tomorrow matter? What is important is now.
From The Music of Dolphins
