Precious Moments

​As I was thinking about some of the precious moments in the past, I came to think about all the children that I have worked with in the past.
 
As early as age 13, I was working with children and youth as a Camp Counselor and working with the Y.M.C.A. summer programs. This was the start of my journey to give back to other children in my area.
 
As I got older and, in the military, I worked with Little League as a baseball coach and Scouting in between the time of working in my military job. I even went to play with Korean orphans when I was stationed in Korea.
 
In addition, I always liked to participate in the Korean children’s festivals that were held outside the base. I also participated in the Special Olympics programs.
 
Of course, as I ended up getting married, I also had my own children later in life as well as working with other youth organizations, Migrant Head Start as an Infant/Toddler Teacher,  Daycare Teacher, Awana’s Leader, Sunday School Children’s Church Leader,  Vacation Bible School Teacher, Elementary School  Aged Teacher, Summer School Teacher, and even as a Before/After School Tutor with a school and tutoring company.
 
This all led me up to becoming a children’s book author. It is so rewarding having the opportunity and blessing to attend author visits both virtually and in-person with school aged children at elementary schools and daycares. So far, I have read to over 1,000 children and hope to read more to share theme- based books with literary elements included.
 
In my office, I have a notebook that has every letter, birthday cards, handmade thank you notes, and other projects that children so diligently made for me so much for over the last 40 years. I love to pull the book out while wondering how each child that I had contact with in my various roles as a volunteer or in paid positions is doing these days. The book helps me to realize the “preciousness of the moment “in time. I could have thrown all of this away, but I keep this notebook of the great memories I had with these children. As I age, it makes me realize why I do what I do as a children’s book author now.
 
Last year, I read to a school virtually in the Oklahoma City Public Schools. I was blessed to have received these kind letters in the mail. They were written before I did the Virtual Visit. This is why I do what I do ensuring I can “make a difference in the lives of children.”

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