Happy Juneteenth!

First Post of the Day (if I get the other one finished.)

Happy Juneteenth!

 I am especially glad to celebrate with my dear sister of the heart, Lorna.

We began as teaching colleagues, then became dear friends, and finally, sisters of the heart who, even though I left Illinois 19 years ago, I still text and chat with every day.

Several years ago and celebrating twenty years of love and friendship. (She made that necklace as a gift to me.) 

Lorna is one of the people I trust most and can always be counted on to help anyone at any time. Her soft heart extends to the birds she feeds year round and even the squirrels who raid her bird feeder!

Lorna came into my life over 25 years ago and has been enriching it ever since.

I'm also celebrating with someone my kids call, "the brother from another mother," Thom Reed.

And I love having Thom as a bonus son. A student of Craig's in the 1990s, a friendship grew outside of the classroom and soon encompassed our entire family.

He is a professional genealogist (a love he and Craig share) and has done a lot of good in the Black community in helping find and preserve genealogical records of slaves.

Thom speaking at the opening of the California African American Museum in 2015.

Thom was a great big brother and all our kids looked up to him. (And still do. They'd look up to him even if he weren't 6' 5"!) Here he is with Curt and Cole at Sarah and Todd's wedding.

Thom liked hanging out with us and doing what we did. One evening we were shopping at Kmart and Thom was helping the kids (all six of them - what a patient guy!) choose their back to school supplies. 

A couple of kids were also in the same aisle and spied Thom. They began furtively glancing our way and whispering to each other.

"Shaq!" "That's Shaq!" "Shaq's here in the store!" "Look! It's him!" "Oh, my gosh!" And on and on.

Thom grinned at the kids but didn't say anything, and my kids stood a little taller and felt VERY important that people thought they were with Shaquille O'Neal.  That is a favorite family memory and we still laugh about it.

Thom and Jessica.

Thom and Lorna may not be blood relations, but to me they are family and they both have blessed my life many times and in many ways.

Happy Juneteenth to Lorna, Thom, and to all!