14/10/2023
Mrs. White
Janay Collins Kimble
©️2023. Louisiana, USA.
September 30, 2023
I’ve been blessed with excellent teachers throughout my life. Not only in the classrooms, but also in life. So many Sunday School teachers shaped my World View. I’ve never understood a world without Kindness. I’ve experienced it, but it never made sense to me.
My 5th grade elementary school teacher, Mrs. White, exuded love and taught with passion! In my eyes she gave me the hope of Judah. She rescued me from shame.
She recognized a light in me that had just begun to glow. One day at recess my friends and I decided to climb a tree. It wasn’t that big and it was a beautiful Spring day.
Another teacher scolded us harshly and handed us over to Mrs. White who was desperately trying to eat her lunch with new false teeth. She thanked the teacher, then looked at us. Her voice was firm but soft, her eyes softened and for a moment I thought I saw a twinkle of delight flash across her dark eyes.
“Alright now, come on now girls. You can’t be climbing trees. You’ll mess up your clothes. Come on let’s get you inside. “
And we followed her inside the calm of an empty classroom. She went behind her desk mumbling words we dare not decipher. I remember walking to my desk and finding paper and pencil a source of great comfort.
I think I wrote a story about ants, but that might have been another day. I loved Mrs. White, and even though she never said the words, I know she loved me!
1978 was a long time ago y’all 🤟
