2014 Class Reunion

Value Friendship: There is nothing so lasting as a friendship. It can span the decades of time and come back full circle to that one we call friend and time is so good to us. It erases wrinkles, changes our shape or color of hair and gives us the genuine heart to heart that we once knew. We can mingle in that hour or two or three and then know that if we don’t meet for another decade, we will find friendship still waiting to meet us again down the road. This time is has been 25 or 50 years since we have met some of these friends but we are welcomed with a smile and that hearty laugh that we would know in our sleep and the years melt away. We chat about kids, things we like to do, trips we have taken, and where we live. Lastly we shared our aches and pains if we talk that long. Thus, we find that we are all so different yet we are all so alike. Tributes go to the individuals who worked hard to locate classmates by phoning, using the internet, local libraries, historical records and relatives. Then, tributes go to those who gathered the bios and put them together in a book (even adding a forward) and our pictures in a slide show. Tomorrow, we meet again and we’ll talk about things that happened back in the day, the news, the clothes, the shoes, the hair, the town, etc. We’ll all remember what it was like “back in the day.” It is always so sweet to us to remember only the good times in our past.

Young man & $50.

Value Honesty: Walking into the grocery story behind William, a young man of 10, I was startled when he stopped suddenly. There at his feet lay several bills folded in half and crumpled. He proceeded to pick up the bills and took them to the clerk at the checkout counter. “Someone lost this money,” he said. The lady took the bills and his father's phone number, and told Williams that if the money was not claimed in 30 days, the money was his. William felt good about his experience in the grocery store and it was a platform for further discussions where honesty is a virtue that needs to be taught.

Renee and the ladybug (Asian beetle)

Value Learning: I was out in the back yard with a three year old the other day when she discovered a lady bug. It was a beautiful September day and the ladybug was not red but it was orange. She had it between her fingers and was trying to see what it was doing. When it fell onto the grass, I found a leaf for it to crawl upon so that we could be gentler. It crawled off the leaf and onto her arm. She patiently let it crawl and I again brought the leaf under its body so that we could change its location. After a few minutes it dropped again into the grass and we decided that we should let him play. We talked about the lady bug and the things it would eat and spoke about its life. What a delightful learning experience for us, together, as we celebrated the value of learning – the value of learning about nature.

Definitions

VALIANT: according to the Miriam-Webster dictionary states: "having or showing courage : very brave or courageous. Examples of VALIANT She died last year after a valiant battle with cancer. Origin of VALIANT Middle English vailant, valiant, from Anglo-French vaillant worthy, strong, courageous, from present participle of valerto be of worth, from Latin valēre to be strong. First Known Use: 14th century." http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/valiant VALUES: In the Miriam-Webster dictionary it states: "something (as a principle or quality) intrinsically valuable or desirable...Example: No one can deny the value of a good education. Origin of VALUE - Middle English, worth, high quality, from Anglo-French... participle of Latin valēre to be of worth, be strong. First Known Use: 14th century." http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/values

Acknowledging Valiant Values

Value Values: For many years, I was fascinated by the word VALUES and the fact that many people teach VALUES in their churches and in their homes. I was taught at an early age the value of knowledge, honesty, fairness, gratitude, work and sharing. When there was something good or something that I revered or held dear, I would try to find out how it's meaning played a part in my life. Changes in my life occurred because of someone's fairness, generosity, or tolerance shown to me. I remembered those times by recording those experiences in my journal. Those special times came from a kind word, a warm smile, a gentle touch, a bird's song, or from silence when a clear voice spoke to my heart or when I felt a prompting from God. The purpose of this blog will be to find choice values in everything that I see, hear, experience and live. As I write about it, those values will become more vivid in my mind. I want to acknowledge the kindness of those who have made a difference in my life and in the lives of others. I want to give recognition to youth who have learned, at a young age, to make values a part of their lives. I want to make VALUES a VALIANT part of my life now.