A Day at the Schools!

This morning started by going to see Grace get her awards at school. She did VERY well, and it was wonderful to be there with her! Next, I picked up Carissa and we had a little adventure! Jen asked us to pick up a lady, named Gerda, and bring her to speak to Jen's class. Gerda survived the Holocaust and is 94. What a blessing she was! Jen had heard her before and asked her to come, but she didn't feel comfortable driving. It just was a great day! I got to see Jen in action, meet some of her students, and hear someone very interesting. I was very proud of Jen's class. They behaved very well and had some great questions! Carissa and I have always been interested in the Holocaust and when she leaves for Israel next week, she will be headed to the Holocaust museum that Cary and I went to in Jerusalem. Meeting Gerda was just a bonus! When I asked her how old she was, she told me it didn't matter. She said she likes to count friends, not years. She also said each day is a gift. Somehow, knowing her history made what she said very credible. Her husband was arrested and put in a concentration camp before the war actually started. She escaped to Holland and made it out on the last boat to America before the war started. Somehow she was later able to get a student Visa for her husband, but they were apart for three years before he was able to get here. She has been in Fort Myers since 1965, when her husband established the synagogue in Cape Coral. They met through a tennis team in Germany, and married there. She has just given up tennis...she said she was afraid she might fall. She takes only blood pressure medicine, loves to read, and she was as sharp as she could be. Amazing. She reminded me that the quality of life really is all about the attitude we have, how we process what comes our way.