Educational Excellence

Happy Monday, All!

Is it the first day of April 2013 already?! I shan’t complain, for I am given another day of this gift of my life … peace be still!

Many of us may have had the blessing of spending this past Holy Week and Easter Sunday with family and friends. It stood out in my mind the days when I lived in the Winbrook Apartment Complex aka “The Projects” in White Plains, NY. Everyone had gotten a new Easter suit, usually some new shoes – back in the day, patent leather was popular. The young ladies adorned themselves with a new dress, usually accompanied by an Easter bonnet or head piece of some sort with matching new shoes, displaying spring time colors much like those on the Easter eggs that lay in all the kids baskets with the other chocolates and marshmallows and jelly beans! Oh! Easter as a child growing up will be forever memorable!

Yesterday was a little different for me, in particular. Since my vehicle has been in the repair shop since last Friday morning, I have had some good friends giving me lifts to work, downtown Friday and Saturday eves and back home (thanks guys), and even had a chance to walk a lot more than I normally do here on the streets in my neighborhood of Fort Lauderdale. Things look a bit different when close up and on foot! The waterway off of the street where I live has homes with boat docks, and the canal’s water glistened as the Sunday sun played daintily upon it! People were fishing off the small bridge that crosses over NE 18th Avenue and the smells of “fishy” waters caught my nose’s attention as I walked across it on my way to Publix Supermarket about a mile and a half away. I inhaled deeply as I continued my walk in shorts, flip flops and a muscle shirt! Life is good … even when you are physically alone.

I was okay because I always “drink” my spiritual milk! I give much credit to my parents, in particular my mother, who always insisted that I go to Sunday school and church on Sundays growing up so I could be exposed to the teachings of the Southern Baptist church there in the Projects called Bethel Baptist Church. She was a member of the Flower Club there and they were responsible for having flowers on the altar at the church every Sunday service that was held. I was in the Children’s Choir and the Youth Group, and, one summer, we even went to Virginia Union’s Theological Seminary for a summer program held on its campus in Richmond, VA! Through out my life, with my parents’ tutelage, I embraced different religious teachings and found my own spirituality, if you will.

Easter was a quiet day that I spent physically alone, but spiritually fulfilled and accompanied by those wonderful spirits of those I have had the pleasure of encountering along this journey. I text, called, e-mailed and posted “likes” on Facebook for those who had something positive or funny to say. I was fortunate enough to have foods like French toast and bacon, spaghetti and baked stuffed clams, even prepared a favorite dish of mine from Colombia – “bandeja paisa” – to have for my supper. My desserts were chocolate candies and strawberry ice pops from Publix. Watching basketball on the television of both college’s March Madness Play-Offs and even the Miami HEAT kept me entertained while I cooked, rested, snacked and started that routine all over again every three hours or so! I am blessed … I counted so many blessings that I may be grateful for, including each one of you reading this. Thank you!

“Got spiritual milk?” It comes in handy when we think we are alone … peace be still! Pass it on!

Namaste,

John I. Cook, Director