365 writing Prompts: Helping hand

Tell us about the most surprising helping hand you’ve ever received.

Some prompts have a way of pulling together everything I’ve stored in my memory bank. Today’s prompt is asking me to think of all the good Samaritans I’ve met in my life’s journey.

One fine morning I looked out my  window and was disturbed to see the driveway, the patio, the steps leading to the patio were covered with thick snow.

It seemed mother nature had a great time covering the trees, its branches and the yard with its soft fluffy snow.First thing that hit me was how on earth will I shovel all this snow. For a moment I was lost in my thoughts, wondering what can be the best way of clearing nature’s gift. I may have dozed off for a fraction of a second when I woke up to find a young girl looking at me, I was embarrassed and instantly said, “Did you say something?”

“Yes Miss”, she said, “Do you remember me?”

I stared at her, tried to remember where I’d seen her, nothing came to mind. I had a fake smile on my face which anyone with a bit of brain would know I couldn’t really  recall who she was.

She saved me from further embarrassment by saying, “I’m Heather, Miss you taught me in grade four, don’t you remember?”

“Oh yes I do, and how are you?” I said.

Without waiting any longer she asked, “Can I help clear your driveway?”

This was something I never expected to hear.I was delirious, all I could say was, “It will be so nice!”

Across the street her friends, who were students of the university, renting my neighbor’s house were waiting for Heather, came along. There were seven of them, within an hour and a half my driveway was cleared of the twenty five cm of snow that fell overnight. I felt a mere thank you to these wonderful girls is not enough.

I bought a Turkey from the supermarket, roasted it, and prepared a salad. For dessert I baked a cake. I called them and when they carried all the food to the house, I was relieved I could return the favor!

…………………………………. 🙂

DP Daily Prompts: Sweet Little Lies

As kids we’re told , time and time again,that lying is wrong.Do you believe that’s always true?In your book, are there any exceptions?

Yes I can recall my mother telling me more than once, that lying is the biggest sin and God never forgives liars, at the same time she remarked, “if your life is in danger and lying will save you, God will forgive you.”

I’ve always told everyone this story, what they thought I never found out. As I was growing up, meeting more people taught me it’s not the only thing that saves you, there are varied circumstances when a lie helps the poor student to get motivated. I had a boy in my class who was very slow in his work, he’d look around and find all his classmates had finished the task while he was not even close to finishing it.

One day I watched him doing his work to make him feel better I said, “You’re doing good continue.”

These words of mine triggered something in his mind, he burst out crying, “Miss I’ll never make it,I will fail.”

I saw his concern, I had to say something to relieve his tension, I smiled and replied, “You are the best one in my class if you fail, no one will pass.”

Did I lie, partly, he was not the best student, but he was one of the boys who persevered and I did not believe he’d fail.

Kids sometimes cannot gauge their performance themselves, someone older or a teacher’s opinion makes them feel better.

In my teaching career I found out if the teacher is positive the student believes in himself or herself. If a lie helps a child to perform better I wouldn’t hesitate to say it!

nk: https://sabethville.wordpress.com/2014/12/12/dp-daily-promp…et-little-lies

 

 

DP Daily Prompt: Matters of Taste

When was the last time a movie, a book,or a television show left you cold despite all your friends (and/ or all the critics) raving about it? What was it that made you go against the critical consensus?

I cannot recall having an experience like that. I’ve watched movies, read books or watched  television shows that were recommended by my daughter, I found them as good as she described them.

Permalink: https://sabethville.wordpress.com/2014/08/13/dp-daily-promp…tters-of-taste/

 

DP Daily Prompt: Age-old Questions

“Age is just a number,”says the well-worn adage.But is it a number you care about or one you tend(or try) to ignore?

For some people age is just a number, there are others who cannot wait to be a certain age to drive a car, live an independent life from parents or guardians, when they do not have to get permission to do whatever they want.

I recall once reading about a ten month old baby, who was crawling in his mother’s kitchen, he found a paper on the floor, grabbed it and put it in his mouth, this is exactly a baby that age does. His mother took the paper from him and said, “You do not put it in your mouth, this is what you do,”she took a pencil and wrote a few letters of the alphabet. She continued cooking as usual. When she turned around she was amazed, the letters were copied exactly like hers, not believing her ten month old had written those letters, this time she wrote all twenty-six letters of the alphabet on the piece of paper and left it on the floor, she continued cooking but really wanted to know what her ten month old would do with it. She was stunned when she saw the letters were copied by him exactly  like hers.

This boy went to the university when he was ten years old. I know you will say, not all ten year old’s go to the university at that young age he was just an exceptional kid. I know that too, for him age was only a number!

https://sabethville.wordpress.com/2014/07/27/dp-daily-promp…-old-questions/