Miss Blessing.  Never once have I been anything but thrilled to have this name, for all the jokes are kind ones like, “Whoever marries you will get a blessing”, or, “Your parents must think you are a blessing.”  But jokes aside, I am truly blessed, and every day my heart sings a song of gratitude.

My name brings deep family roots with it.  My great grandparents survived the Depression after arriving from Germany by running a little bakery in a small New Jersey town.  Great Grandpa turned to fruit farming when, as you can imagine, giving away bread to anyone who was hungry didn’t work too well for the business.  Dad always said that not even a passing stranger left our family farm hungry.  My family has always modeled sharing with generosity, and I am blessed.

The tale goes that Grandpa was the only one left to help out on the farm when his older brothers and sisters went off to college.  He used to stop his plow as he passed the schoolhouse and peek in the window to hear part of the lesson before continuing around the field.  While he only completed his eighth grade education, he urged every one of his children and grandchildren to dedicate themselves to the pursuit of learning.  Our family is now mainly teachers and doctors with a sprinkling of business leaders, all hoping to make the world a better place, all hungering to know more.  Lifelong learning as a core value has blessed me every day.

From funny songs on the porch to a meal filled with puns, laughter accompanies my family everywhere.  During Dad’s battle with cancer, we handled many dark days by laughing together.  Who would not be blessed by the gift of laughter?

Grandpa and Grandma worked with me.  Dad and Mama worked with me.  Being responsible for chores and working until the job is done even when you get tired aren’t the usual blessings you’d eagerly count.  There is such satisfaction in loving your job, though, and in working alongside others.  I cannot wait to start teaching each day.  Hard work has been a blessing in my life.

Miss Blessing.  I have always loved my name.  Hopefully, hearing it each day will constantly remind me to live with the gratitude that should accompany such a flood of blessings.

Have you guessed any of the mysteries yet?  Well, I’ll tell you the first few.  I am off on a learning adventure called the Plymouth Writing Project for five weeks!  I get the opportunity to research, share, write, discuss, dig deeper, question, wonder, and enjoy with many other writing teachers.  We are at Plymouth State University, and yesterday I showed you pictures of some of the buildings we use for our learning.   I wish you could come visit!  You would just love the library here.

Here is a picture of the classroom building I was in today for our writing sessions.  We gave each other encouragement and suggestions, just like you do in your blog comments to other writers.

This is the view from the desk where I study in my dorm room.  I am on the second floor, and I can see the beginning of the White Mountain Range as I work, so I look up a lot because it helps me write.

Here is your second clue to help you guess the famous person.  He is a poet who taught here at one time.  On the ground in front of his statue it says, “and that has made all the difference.”

Leave a comment with your guess!  The first DES student who guesses right will win a little writing prize!