The Gift of Hope by Lori R. Keeton

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“What are you doing to celebrate the big 4-0?”

Each time I hear this question, I look around to see who the person is talking to as it certainly could not be ME.

Oh, but it is….

I will be turning 40 in 49 days (but who’s counting?)

Fortunately, I am blessed with amazing friends (Yeah!)– some of whom reached this milestone before I did (Double Yeah!).

I have been so impressed with the ways they have chosen to memorialize their big days- 40 random acts of kindness, a party where guests packed food to feed the hungry, etc.

I have also been a little intimidated, wondering what I could do that actually “matters” to start this next amazing decade of my life.

 

The answer was so obvious that of course it took me ages to figure it out….

But, once the pieces found each other in my head, there was no doubt in my mind about what I want to do to celebrate turning 40.

And it all comes down to three amazing women who have shaped my life more than they will ever know.

My mom.

Miss Armstrong.

And Jackie.

 

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I met Jackie the summer after my first year of law school. She was a student in a remedial English class I was teaching at a community college in Florida.

I am not sure which of us was more nervous on the first day of school: me- the teacher who was younger than any of her students or Jackie- the 55 year old student who was older than any of her classmates.

When she walked into my class with her head held high and took a front row seat in spite of the discomfort that I knew she felt, I instantly fell in love with her.

And when I asked the students what they hoped to accomplish in my class, her response rendered me speechless.

She looked me right in the eyes and said “I want to be able to write a letter to my kids and my grandkids. I can’t write a letter.”

I was totally overwhelmed by her statement- not just the total honesty of it, but the realization that a woman 30 years older than I was had lived a life that left her unable to do something that I completely took for granted.

I knew in that moment what I had to tell not just Jackie but the entire class that was eyeing this 24 year old white girl from Mississippi with serious skepticism.

“Jackie, if you will give this class your all, you will be able to write that letter by the end of the summer.”

She nodded her head, and she smiled the most beautiful, hopeful smile.

And she gave the class her all. Every day. It was a struggle. She would do her homework and then do it again. She would stay after class and come in early for help. She asked for extra assignments so she could get better. She was always the last to turn in her tests or papers because she methodically checked and re-checked her work.

There were times when I really questioned if I was going to be able to fulfill my promise to her. And I know she did too.

When I got worried and wondered what more I could possibly do to help her reach her goal, I thought back to when I was first learning how to read and write because, in a very real way, that is where Jackie was in her journey.

And that line of thinking took me straight to Miss Armstrong.

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Miss Armstrong. I am not sure a student has ever loved a teacher more than I loved her.

She was my second grade teacher. She was a beautiful brunette who hot rolled her hair and wore button down shirts, khaki skirts that fell below her knee and loafers almost every day.

I would give anything to be able to track her down just so I could tell her how much she shaped my life and how grateful I am to her.

Miss Armstrong loved teaching, and she made me love learning.

The memory that has stayed with me most even 30 plus years later is that she read to us for 30 minutes every day.

I can still see her sitting on her wooden stool in the front of the classroom with the book in her lap.

The Boxcar Children series.

I was completely mesmerized by the adventures of Henry, Jessie, Violet and Benny.

My love for reading and for words grew with every passing day and every new story- and it has never gone away.

And when I thought back to that, I realized that I needed to give Jackie the same gift that Miss Armstrong had given to me.

I also thought a lot about another great teacher- a beautiful English teacher whose students worshipped her and whose passion for reading and writing was also impossible not to catch- my mother.

 

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So many of my earliest memories center around reading with my mother.

There was not a night we did not read a bedtime story.

I could call my mother right now, and I bet she could recite The Monster at the End of this Book from memory.

And it isn’t just the reading I remember- it is the feeling of being loved.

No matter how tight money was, there was always enough for Scholastic book orders (oh how I loved the days the books arrived with the free posters that came with every order) and for book fairs.

And no matter how tight time was, there was always going to be time made for trips to the library.

As I got older and realized that the only thing I loved more than reading was writing, I wrote short stories and left them by the coffee pot for my mother to find.

She would read every one of them and tell me how wonderful they were.

She kept every single article or story I wrote.

Did it make a difference in my life? Let’s just say that I still have many of those stories and articles with her comments on them tucked away in my closet.

“Keep writing” she would always say. “Keep writing.”

And so I have.

And she gave that same priceless gift to her students.

They were so lucky that she was their “Miss Armstrong”-and I am so lucky that she is my mother.

 

And as my sisters and my friends have had children, I have gotten such joy from giving them books and from reading to them- and then eventually having them read to me.

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I want to be able to give that same gift to other children.

I want to be some child’s Miss Armstrong. I want to be LOTS of children’s Miss Armstrong.

I want to give them the “Boxcar Children/Scholastic Book/Book Fair” feeling.

I want them to experience what it is like to own a new book. The shininess of the cover. The crisp spine. The endless possibilities.

I want them to use their imaginations.

I want them to start writing stories of their own.

I want them to feel valued and loved as I did.

I want them to experience the comfort of being read to and the joy of reading a book out loud to someone.

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So, THAT is what I want for my birthday….

Books. Lots and lots of books.

I want for everyone who reads this to send me their favorite book(s) from childhood.

I want you to ask your children what their favorite books are and send those too.

I want you to tell your friends and your parents and your siblings to send books.

And when you do, I want you (yes, I am planning on being very demanding in this next decade!) to take the time to ask them what their favorite book was because you will get the joy of seeing their faces light up as they talk about it.

When I asked the question of my own family, I learned that my mom’s favorite was called Nurse Nancy and came with real band-aids. How cool is that? (Note- The modern version does not come with the band-aids. NUMEROUS people of my mom’s era have written reviews complaining of this absence). For my sister it was Nancy Drew. For my nephew, it was anything Dr. Seuss.

What is yours? (I know you are smiling at this very moment as you remember it.)

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I plan to donate all the books collected to the Kennedy Charter School in Charlotte- a school that is devoted to helping children to accomplish the very goals that I am talking about. Check it out- http://www.kennedycharter.org/KennedyCharter/franciselementary.cfm

I was at a luncheon there a year ago where they shared some statistics on literacy for children from low-income families. They told us that by the age of three, children from low-income families have been exposed to 30 million fewer words than their more-affluent peers. By the time they enter kindergarten, they are typically 12 to 24 months behind the national norm in language and pre-reading.

And the average number of books for those children? One for every 300 children. One.

 

That number brings me back to my student, Jackie- a woman who grew up in a home without books and without someone who read to her.

On the last day of class, I gave my students one last assignment– write a letter to someone they cared about.

When Jackie finished her letter and put it into the envelope, she looked up at me with tears in her eyes and smiled that same beautiful, hopeful smile.

But this time, I saw pride in her eyes.

I will never forget it.

 

Please help me to share that gift with the children at Kennedy Charter School.

LOGISTICS:

You can order from www.amazon.com or a ton of other sites and have the books shipped if you do not want to go the trouble of mailing them.

I have created a wish list on www.amazon.com in case you need some book suggestions– http://amzn.com/w/RMR0QRWQ1OOO

I have let the Kennedy Charter School know to expect LOTS of books….

I have even rented a mailbox to have the books shipped because I have no doubt that there will be many– The address for shipping is Lori Keeton, 401 Hawthorne Lane, Suite 110-118, Charlotte, NC 28204-2358. Phone if you need it for shipping is 704-342-4262.

Box is rented through June.

 

 

 

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15 thoughts on “The Gift of Hope by Lori R. Keeton

  1. What a gift you are… to so many people! God game me an amazing gift when He gave me to you as my daughter. You fill the world with love and make each of us want to be a better person. I love the “book idea…” Count me in and Happy, Happy Birthday.

  2. Lori – this is a fantastic idea that will have a lasting impact & touch so many lives! I can’t wait to ship copies of Bunnicula, Superfudge and nancy drew (to name a few). God bless you! Xoxo

  3. We have our Scholastic order forms here on my desk as I write this, and Alexander has already ordered a boat load from the website…..I think we will buy some more to donate to this worthy cause.

    And by the way, that fantastic English teacher you call Mom was MY fantastic English teacher….best teacher I ever had, and she introduced me to one of my all time favorite books, The Education of Little Tree. I have a copy on my shelf….and have read it more than once.

    Love you and thank you for your wonderful post. Hard to top this entry into your next great decade.

    xoxo

    Connie

  4. Of course you came up with this beautiful idea! I can’t wait to see how many books you collect and the vast range of titles!! Love all the pictures of the Riley children……they do LOVE to read.

    Hugs! Count us in for this project. It is wonderful to be a part of such a wonderful gift.

    I agree with Jean – this year, as we celebrate your birthday, YOU ARE THE REAL GIFT.

  5. This is the best birthday gift I ever heard a person request.

    I cried most of the entire blog. I have had the honor of a friendship with your
    Mom for 25+ years. It was an instant bond, a rare, rare gift from our Lord, a blessed gift, a treasured, precious gift. I could see her love for you both, her teaching by examples, day after day, moment by moment. This tribute to her is well deserved. However, Lori, it is YOU who responded, learned, watched,
    And reached out to Jean, your teacher(s), your students, friends, family and
    CHILDREN by the bus load. All feel your love, are touched and learn how
    To live a life searching, thirsting for book knowledge.

    Just a note, I was a Nancy Drew girl, graduated to loving biographies, and a dedicated trivia fan in my old age.

    Will be selecting your 40th gift soon to send.

    Thank you for a wonderful chance to help you celebrate.

    Love, Julie

  6. I have enjoyed reading several of your past posts via my cousin Cathy. This one really speaks to me. As a retired teacher, I cannot agree with you more about the importance of books and reading. When I taught elementary school, I read to my students daily. When I “graduated” to teaching 8th grade pre-algebra, I continued reading to my classes. They loved it.
    As a child, I never had books of my own. But my mother, herself a teacher, took us to the library weekly. She was my first teacher, just as your mom was for you.
    I hope you receive many books.
    PS – I enjoyed seeing the pictures of Cathy’s kids, too. I know how much they love to read.

  7. Lori – We have never met, but my birthday present to you is on its way. My wonderful nieces and their mom think you are very special and I have to agree with them. There is nothing better than helping a child learn to love books. Happy 40th!

  8. Lori, this is absolutely a beautifully written piece, and an even more beautiful idea. I love this, and will be so happy to participate. You have inspired all of us with your words, just as you have been inspired over the course of your life by these three special ladies. XOXO

  9. Hi Lori. You don’t know me but we share a mutual friend, the amazing Heather Keegan Smith. I want to tell you how moved I was reading about your plan to celebrate your big 4-0. My daughter is 10 and she struggles with reading…I mean really struggles! Invested lots of money and time on diagnostic testing, tutoring, and LOTS of different books for her to enjoy as we try to help her improve her reading skills. She works really hard and she wants to really enjoy reading but it just doesn’t come easy for her. It’s can be heartbreaking some days but we know she will get there! The thing that breaks my heart more is the thought of a child who wants to read but struggles to have the resources they need and deserve. Kudos to you for being a champion for those children! My daughter and I can’t wait to send you our favorite books! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

  10. What a fantastic idea! I was in tears at the end of your story. My three favorites that first came to mind were The Secret Garden, Bridge to Terabithia and the Laura Ingall’s Wilder books. I’m having so much fun watching Ali Beth develop a strong love of reading. I asked her favorite and she said she needs time to think about it because there are just too many. I’ll keep you posted. Welcome to your 4th decade – you are going to love it!

  11. Such a great way to celebrate your 40th!! I stumbled upon The Puppy Who Wanted a Boy in a used bookstore and it has become one of mine and Kendall’s favorites! I also loved Mandy and the Betsy-Tacy series. I ordered a copy of Mandy for myself too! Happy early birthday!!

  12. What a great way to celebrate your 40th!! Books are on the way! I always love reading your blog. You always inspire me, make me laugh and bring tears to my eyes! Hope you have an amazing birthday! xoxo

  13. I pulled one from the list and another that EVERY young girl should have that isn’t on the list – The Paperbag Princess. She the hero of her own story :)

  14. I pulled one from the list and another that EVERY young girl should have that isn’t on the list – The Paperbag Princess. She the hero of her own story :)

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