The way the world changes

Last fall when we had our first parent teacher conference in the third grade, I was concerned about my daughter having to cope with learning cursive when she hadn't even learned to print neatly. My concerns were quickly put to rest, albeit replace with a bigger one, when I was told that they would no longer teach cursive, as it had become obsolete with increased use of computers. Ok, I looked into it, I researched it, and although initially it was hard to grasp, I can see where that is true, and I'm ok with that. A little sad, but ok. Today I asked about spelling lists, why no Friday tests with a new list on Monday. Oh well, no longer will they be taught through traditional spelling lists, they will learn spelling through phonics study, no spelling homework necessary, all done at school with a focus on a different block each week, I guess spell check works best if you can get close to the sound of the word, right? Again, shock and dismay, confusion and questioning as to whether in the long run this will hurt or help my daughter. Thank heavens for the Internet! So I look up this method, seems that by learning the relationships and rules of word combinations rather than learning and memorizing one word at a time, they will learn more. Well, I can see how that works, but the answer to my question on the way home (am I old or is this crazy?) seems to be that I am old! Get with the new program mom! How am I to help my daughter if I don't know the way she is being taught, my goodness there doesn't seem to be enough time in the world to keep up with the changes and then to do my own school work. Better change majors from Social Work to education, just so I can follow what is going on! Have to think on that, I really believe I'd make an awesome social worker, but I can do one and go back for the other. The call to teaching gets louder and louder. Next semester I will be finished with my general ed credits, I'll have the associates and can make the decision in another few months. Lots to think about!

Life goes on

On Saturday I made a trip to my favorite thrift store, looking for a table to create a small workspace for school, and any other good things I could find. I walked up to the table, which of course I found right away, because when I go searching at this particular store I always find what I want, that's why it is my favorite. I turned, in search of somone to mark the table as sold for me and out of the corner of my eye I saw my mother's head board. First I thought it must be an illusion, I stared accross the room, I knew before I reached it the sound it would make when I opened the cabinet, I knew before I opened the drawer the lining that would be inside. The tears flooded my eyes, that headboard was a part of my life from the time I was four until the night she died next to it. They wanted $150 for it, not an exorbant amount, but more than I should spend for sentimental value when the bedroom set I own is nicer, newer, and bigger. My brother, ever the voice of reason, says "That is not Mom's, it is like Mom's" I choose to believe he is wrong, it is not unheard of to find items from the past at the thrift store, just the other day a man found his mother's entire collection of LP's at the thrift store, identified them by her name and address labels that had been affixed 30 years earlier. He had not seen them in 20 years. He bought all of them, of course.
There is a book by Stephen King, entitled Needful Things, a story about a man who has a second hand shop in which each character finds something that he has long been searching for, the local goodwill is my Needful Things store, but I don't have to make a deal with the devil to retrieve my memories.
In the end I did not buy the headboard, it will go to someone else and become their memory, I bought two bicycles, one for myself and one for Sydney instead, ensuring both my mental health and physical health for the moment. As much as I miss my mother and regret all that was lost to me when she died suddenly, I realize that this is my life and it goes on the way I need it to, not by living in the past but learning from it.