Dear Reader:

In one of the daily devotionals I like to read occasionally the story of the heartfelt meeting between the risen Christ and Mary Magdalene in the garden appeared. It always touches me. If you remember the story, Mary thought Jesus was a gardener. (I love that passage…what better way to be seen….as a person who grows life…which is exactly what Jesus did…and does.)

Mary is weeping outside the tomb and turns around to see a man standing there whom she doesn’t recognize immediately. It is Jesus who makes the first overture…“Woman, why are you weeping…whom are you seeking?”

Thinking he is the gardener, she says, “Sir, if you have carried Him away, tell me where you have laid Him, and I will take Him away.”

Jesus says to her “Mary!” She turns and says to him in Hebrew, “Rabboni!: Master/Teacher (John 20: 14-17)

The last time she had seen him he was stretched out on a cross and covered in blood….what made her recognize Him now…His voice! His voice that personifies His true self…His identity on earth.

Haven’t we all experienced someone approaching us and asking tentatively, “Aren’t you Miss Barbour, or Mrs. Dingle, or Becky?” and it is usually a student I taught years ago or a fellow teacher…perhaps a friend from the past.

When I nod or respond “Yes” they usually follow up with …”I wasn’t sure at first but I never forget a voice…particularly yours with that unique southern accent.”

Isn’t it interesting how our auditory senses outlast our visual ones in the memory department?

It always turns out it isn’t just our voice recognition that brings a past human connection over to us but the memory of what was happening between us…the relationship… the last time they remember hearing my voice.

Since I did lots and lots of storytelling sessions in my district, as well as, many other school districts in the state…it is the sound of my voice mixed in with the story itself…that leads them back to tapping my shoulder and asking “Aren’t you Becky Dingle, the storyteller? Aren’t you Mrs. Dingle…my eighth grade social studies teacher?” 

One of the things we all wonder about is if we will recognize loved ones in our next world and somehow I feel that it will be hearing their voices again after such a long time for us mortals…that will first bring back the instant recognition of a “glorified” loved one. At least this is my hope and dream.

One project I am going to undertake now is to have the grandchildren (might have to wait on Eloise) speak into a tape recorder so I can always remember what their little voices sounded like at a certain age…

What made me think of this is when Jakie was born…and I was changing Iphones. John took the newer one (thank you Jackson!) and went to get me hooked up. On my old phone…I had a recording of the time Eva Cate first told me “I ‘OVE OOH BOO BOO!” It was so sweet and I would replay it over and over.

When I realized it was now lost forever I was so sad…so this is a project I want to do periodically as the children and their voices change…sticking with the same few questions so, not only their voices will change, but their interests also.

So until tomorrow…There is but one cause of human failure. And that is man’s lack of faith in his true Self. William James

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

Yesterday was planting day…such fun! I had so many planters/containers with only dirt left over from last year (whatever plant had been in there had long died)….so I bought marigolds and Creeping Jenny to place in several pots on the benches. (Figure if we have a cold snap I can bring them into the potting shed)

I also succumbed to purchasing two Trailing Anemones…don’t know if they will make it but thought I would give it a try…they are so pretty…got a little creative with the purple trailing anemone and put an old weathered (bottomless seat) chair over it for it to grow through and lean on….we will see how this works out.

Aunt Whitney had more luck with her stroll with Eloise yesterday morning…It put her right to sleep. Mollie said it is chilly in the morning (forties) in Phoenix and the conference is being held in a beautiful hotel complex.