Monday, October 23, 2017

MY SWEET B!

Approximately 12 years ago, I sat in a meeting
as a school nurse where I was assigned at the time.
The child in question was a three and a half year old
little girl who had been pretty sick since birth
and now was adjusting to medical issues that would
be part of her life following a Small Bowel, Pancreatic,
liver transplant as a baby. 
Her condition was nothing simple,
she would need a nurse numerous times of the day
to help with those things she could not do.
As her Mother and Grandmother argued their point
as to the reasons this child should be in school
and the school was leary as to at 3 1/2 year old,
with so many medical issues was ready for Pre K.
There was lots of fear on the side of the teachers.
I sat quietly and listened. Her Mom at one point
made a statement to the fact,
"I know the records and her medical needs seem
scary to you all but you have not met Bailey yet,
she is just a little girl who wants and needs school."
Since that day this Mother has always
been admired by me.
.Being the voice and advocate for this
child since she was born ill with a twin brother
who was more than healthy, I have believed
it is due to this Mother and the "village" she has
allowed to help her that Bailey has done so well.
After talk had gone around the table a few times
I was asked my opinion.
My point was,  I feel like all Bailey needs medically
can be met here and on a personal note,
Having also been a child who grew up with
chronic illness known as cancer,
Had my parents not fought for me to be in school,
I would not right now be sitting at this table as
a nurse arguing this point. I say let her in."
A few wet eyes and the decision was made.
Since that day, and the 5 years that I was her
"Nurse Lilly"
She has been my hero.
She is now a smart, funny, beautiful 15 year old.
A child who is now a teenager who has
learned to care for her medical needs all on her own.
Who has far exceeded all of our expectations,
Whose Mother remains her biggest fan,
her advocate, making sure her little girl always
gets what is her right to have.
It is years now that I have retired,
yet the bond between Bailey and I have remained strong.
I have to be honest in saying she is actually
much better than I on keeping in touch,
Facetiming and texting me a few times each week.
So that is the background of this blog.
Saturday is homecoming, Saturday is Bailey's birthday.
Saturday is even a bigger deal because My sweet Bailey
has been nominated for HOMECOMING COURT!
The only Freshman to be nominated!
She is so very excited, it would be a big deal for 
any child yet, for this child, something that perhaps
she never believed would be part of her high school years.
While I speak of her excitement, I want to take
a little time to say how very excited I am for her 
Momma. An accomplishment that maybe she never thought
her dear child would experience while she argued 
for just equality for her.
Her excitement to do the whole homecoming thing,
Hair, nails, dress, date....
and now, the court.
Yes, this child so deserves this feat, probably more than most.
Her Mother deserves this coming Friday as they prepare
for the big day.
I want to say to my Bailey:
"My sweet girl, since the very first day I met you,
I felt a bond to you. We did not have the same
medical issues, but we were chronically ill children
who beat the odds and won Life.
Not only am I so very happy that you are getting
to enjoy all these normal things of the teen years,
but I remain one of your biggest fans.
You have seen so much in your 15 short years of life
and now you are getting to experience those things
that many people take for granted, the
'normal' teen years.
So on Saturday evening, as you stand, on your birthday,
with your peers as they announce the winner of the court,
know that you are already a winner.
 You have been since the day
you were born. Whether you come home with the crown 
or not, you, my dear child, are and will always be
the Queen in my heart.
I love you my sweet B, enjoy all this night has to offer!"
Oh, and happy birthday!
!




Saturday, October 21, 2017

BUILDING A FOUNDATION

Most know I do repurposing scrap art,
some may not know I also teach the art to
tweens. Lots happens at these classes and
it is not just art.
This Thursday, was one of those days.
My sweet student, 11 is talking to me about
her grades.
"I've done really bad in Math, but Ms. Lilly,
I don't need that stuff they want us to learn,
like when will I ever go to Walmart and use
fractions..."
I use an analogy on her that I use in many 
instances. The "Lilly Theory of building a foundation."
After she blows off her steam I tell her,
"You are so very right, you will never go to 
Wally World and use fractions but how often
do you think of the cement, the foundation 
under your house?"
"What??" she asks me, wondering what this
has to do with Math."
"Right we don't think of foundations much but
if the foundation of a home, a relationship.
even the Math that seems so useless,
is not built strong, they will fall."
She is quiet while absorbing this in.
"If the things you are learning now are not 
learned then you cannot build on it to get to 
the part of Math that you will use daily as you get
deeper in to the important stuff."
I think I may have gotten through to her a tad.
We then go on, making our art, eating popcorn
(this gal loves some popcorn)
We have a great afternooon.
After she leaves I wonder if she will keep
what we said in her little mind,
did it make a difference.
I go into the bathroom after class is over.
There on my bathroom chalkboard is a message
from none other than my little student:


Of course I've heard this saying before but never
directed solely to me.
More than art, happens at the studio 
of Mummies' Cottage!

Thursday, October 5, 2017

RIGHT DECISIONS

You know those days?
When you have a few decisions to make
and you want to make the right one
but you are not sure which is the best one?
Yesterday was one of those days.
Tuesday was Randy's Mom's birthday and her
sisters were visiting from Texas.
It was my first time to meet them so I wanted
to be there for the birthday celebration.
It is an hour drive so I spent the night.
Yesterday was Blessing of the pets at
the grand girls school, St. John.
Their Mom knew I probably would not make it
so she had me print pictures of Oliver for
the girls to bring to school.
I hunted my computer so they would have
each a special picture of them with Oliver.
I knew they had those pictures as I laid in bed
in Paulina, La. and I knew they would be okay
with that for the blessing but I was not 
going to be okay.
I could not sleep knowing driving the hour and 
bringing the real thing, Oliver to school
would just make their day.
So its what I did.
I awakened and was on the road for 6:15 am.
As I am driving towards home,
I am thinking,
"They would be fine with the pictures"
"It's so early, will it really make a difference that
I and Oli are there?"
Still, I get home, put Oli in the pet carrier
and go to school.
I beat them to school. Bean's teacher is so
excited, telling me that cat is all she talks about
and every lesson left to their own accord,
for her, it's about Oliver.
Then the children start to come out for the blessing
and first it is Bean,
"MUMSIE!" 
The picture goes on the wayside as I
place Oliver in her lap. He is content there,
 one of his favorite places.
 None of the other animals
bother him in the arms of his Bean.
Then JOJO comes out and I get another,
"MUMSIE!"
She places her butt in my lap and her
hand in Oli's fur.
Her picture goes on the top of her sisters.
They no longer need the photographs, they 
have the real thing.
Each child that even glances our way,
Bean points to Oliver and says,
"Look, its our cat, Oliver!"
They are so well behaved as Oliver and the other
pets get blessed. As we get ready to leave, 
Bean's whole class lines up to pet "the cat"
as they march back to class.
Bean is in that line, her face is beaming.
When it comes to her turn to give her cat that last
rub, instead, she gets out of line and gives me
the biggest hug ever.
That hug says so much,
"Thank YOU, I love you"
My heart is full.
As I help JOJO back to her little classmates
my heart is full.
JoJo wants to cry but I remind her,
"It's Mumsie day, I will see you this afternoon!"
She wipes her little eyes and gets in line like a 
little soldier, with her other three year old friends.
I walk to my car, with a content heart.
Yes, Mumsie, you made the right call, 
the right decision. The early morning drive,
the ride to St. John, I made the right decision;
Because those two little girls, 
Well they will always remember the 
DAY MUMSIE BROUGHT OLIVER TO SCHOOL.
They, and their baby sister, they will 
always, always be the right choice,
the right decision.

Monday, October 2, 2017

TRAGEDY ABOUNDS

Seems like most days, we wake to some new tragedy.
This morning, it is the shooting at the Jason Aldean concert,
an open area in Las Vegas.
At least 50 dead, 200 injured and the shooter, dead.
We will not know his thoughts before this tragedy
he caused but does it really matter?
Yes, I think it does.
At a time when so many are taking a kneel or 
a sit during the National Anthem,
especially NFL players, and the commissioner and
coaches not taking a stand to stop this,
instead they will no longer televise the Anthem 
prior to games, something that has always began
every sporting event is our Country, reminding
us that we are all one, having the freedom to 
attend these events.                                          
A time when people are boycotting sporting events to
show how sickened they are,
a bigger problem hits Vegas. 
The loss of human lives,  it did not matter the 
color of your skin, where you were from,
how old you were, what country you call home.
It did not matter that you live in a country where 
you are free, free to attend an outdoor concert
no matter who you are.
For me,  I am angry.
 It makes the whole disregard for the 
US Flag and the freedom it stands for so significant.
 We need to wake up as a country and realize
that if we do not become a United Nation,
the same thing our ancestors, our own parents,
family fought for, freedom, then we deny 
the fact that this freedom is not being
taken away from us by other countries,
but by our own people. If we don't stop
giving so much attention to those 
NFL athletes that are millionaires due to
the money we pour into the the sport, then we may miss
the signs of those people such as this shooter,
who are a threat to our lives. 
We need to pay more attention to the people who surround
our lives, the evil that lives in some of these Americans.
We are not paying attention to our surroundings,
the important ones, not who is sitting or standing
during the anthem but
the signs that men and women such as this may have given
to those around him.
As I sit here listening to our President Trump,
speaking eloquently about how we must
come together as one,  the realization hits me
that our freedom is being taken 
from our very own, not foreign countries.
Lets wake up,citizens and realize that
until we all become one, standing for a flag 
that represents unity and freedom that very
same freedom will be taken from a senseless act of
some crazy American who did not care your color,
race, age or gender.
May our God Bless all those affected by this 
ridiculous act and may those who think they are making
a point by kneeling or sitting during OUR NATIONAL ANTHEM
realize they are doing nothing to stop evil from our very
own citizens.
I apologize if this blog is randomly all over the place 
and may not be written very eloquently,
My heart is just broken by this tragedy.

the inspirational JEMMA KATE

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