Acceptance

One day while I was at school waiting for my teacher to unlock the classroom door, I looked up and saw this tree. It was in the area where the Parenting classes took place. The children were arriving one by one with their parents. Looking back at the tree I noticed how bare it was, with the branches reaching to the clouds.

The birds lit on the high branches, greeting one another with a friendly chirping noise as birds do. Then an even bigger bird, nearly three times the size of the others, landed on the nearby telephone wires. It watched as more birds began to fill the branches. Squawking at them as if she was asking to be acknowledged. The other birds continued to chirp while others merely flew away.

Pretty much like humans that are new to their surroundings or lonely, she continued to squawk, but the other birds continued with what they were doing as if they couldn't be bothered by her. Venturing closer she landed on the highest branch and continued to watch the other birds, this time she was quiet. Moving down to a lower branch she remained silent but still curious, waiting patiently.

The smaller birds began to move closer onto the same branch as the larger bird and chirped softly to her. Flittering around her, yet moving slowly and closer to their new found friend. It brought tears to my eyes as I took this as a sign of acceptance.

The classroom door opened, and I said a silent prayer for both of us. My journey as a new student at a new school, an older student that had learned through the years to be patient and observe, was just beginning. Uppermost thought in my mind when I cross the threshold every morning? The want and desire of .....acceptance.

Circle of Friends

Being an older student does have its perks. I turned 53 this past April and wondered what I was going to do with my life since my termination from my job of 5 years. I have Degenerative Joint Disease and was in dire need of a sedentary job, or so I had been told.

My search of schools took its toll on me but I finally made my choice and am now attending this fine establishment. Monday through Friday I trek to school with my backpack full of my books and eagerness in my heart. I am doing very well from what my teachers tell me...I am thrilled!

Being the new kid on the block I still smiled as I entered the very first day and said hello to everyone that came my way. I befriended two kind souls that have proven to be just that. Helping me along the way and vice versa. We have become true friends in such a short period of time. I have only been a student in that class for almost three weeks, but none the less they accepted me.

Don't get me wrong, I am not a hard person to get along with, just a little skeptical in my old age. Lately things in my life had been getting a little hectic. An elderly mother of whom I live with and try to keep company when time will allow. A car that acts up more than my two sons when they were toddlers. No job, writing a novel, several short stories, none of which were accepted in contests I entered them in. But I am stubborn and I continue to write regardless.

Last Friday my two friends at school and I were helping each other with an assignment. It was grueling but we got through it...together. When the clock struck noon my friends collected their things as I did. We all walked to our cars together wishing one another a nice weekend. Both girls gave each other a hug of which I thought was cute, they knew each other longer so I just waited to say goodbye. Then both of them said in unison, "Cindy, we are going to give you a hug too because now you are a part of our family of friends as well." I cried all the way to my car. It has been a rough ride being an older student and now the younger ones are teaching me a thing or two....I am a student in more ways than one.