Sunday March 7,2021

Good morning everyone, today is Sunday March 7, 2021 . I’ve looked out the window and it is a beautiful day already and they say we should reach almost 40 degrees not so bad I will take orbit we still need warm clothing , so take care when going out. I know I sound like an old hen every morning when I say dress warm but I guess that is inbred in me to look out for others,some close to me call it butting in but I don’t really see it that way.
Every day I ask you to find something enjoyable to make you happy even if it’s a small thing because one day we realize that those are the really important things.
I am from a generation of letter writers although I was on the end of the era when letter writing was a major form of communication replaced by the telephone. However, I still held letter writing in high regard, there were just times in your life you needed to write to someone and there is a format that you must follow. I taught this to my students over many years. But over time even I came to realize the time for the letter had passed it’s peak, to be replaced by e-Mail and such. But just look at history and see for hundreds of years famous love letters have survived. That is something you don’t get with e-Mail. Why do I bring this up, this has been my enjoyment all weekend, former students have found me on line and have written to me, some from as far away as Portugal. I cannot really explain the joy these letters have given me. To see the lives that have developed since I last saw most of them as an adolescent 13 year old. I don’t know how much influence I have had on creating their lives, I hope I made some kind of impression, no teacher ever knows for sure.
You know as I have said I don’t really believe in coincidence, I believe fate sort of rules our lives and our destiny. A predetermined course of events by a higher power, I know that might sound strange to some but I also believe everything has a reason. One day in 1987 I had sewed what seemed like hundred of names on jackets and I had to return them to the Newark Store, so I did, something made me want to go to my father in laws office which was all the way on the other side of the building to say hello which was not something I normally do because I was always in a hurry to get back to Montclair. When I entered the door was open so I entered without knocking and just walked in there he was with another gentleman, I of course apologized for being so rude as to just walk in on their meeting, but they both assured me they were basically done. The man was buying a display case for the school he was principal of, my father in law explained I was a teacher and waiting to be placed in a school in Newark, the gentleman shook my hand and said while you wait if you want you could substitute at my school, the man was Mr. Robert D. D’Amico and the school was Wilson Ave. now I had never heard of that school I asked where is that. He explained in the Ironbound, now I knew about most of Newark but basically nothing about the Ironbound , other than Goldfingers , Fornos and I had heard about Texeiras bakery. I agreed if he needed me to call. We parted ways. The day after Christmas break I received a call late about 7:30 in the morning, he said would you like to sub today I said yes but it’s late it will take me time to get there. He said no problem when you get here you get here. So I ventured into Down Neck, I had no idea where I was going but I finally got there. I entered on January 2, 1988 and did not leave til 2015. The Ironbound became my adopted home, I loved everything about , I always felt I was somewhere in Europe teaching the best kids on the planet. So that’s chance meeting sealed my fate and created my destiny, so yes I enjoyed talking to these boys and enjoy seeing all of them on line. Please continue to reach out to m, I’m still here I will always be your teacher wheather you liked me or not.
Now today is Sunday god gave us this gift of a day to rest and enjoy, so take advantage of our special present. Talk soon, Til Tomorrow! Don’t forget my special gift on refections of a Life.