Day 217
12/18/22
Oh, this boy... We had the privilege of sharing some of my books, Howard Teddy Bears and Therapy Dog stories with a lovely troop of Girl Scouts in Mounds View this afternoon. Ranger was more than excited to meet these young ladies and shared hugs with all.
Seeing this troop brought back memories of my Brownie and Girl Scout days back in the 1960's. My Brownie troop number was "4" and my Girls Scout troop was #10...I wonder if that indicates how old I am now since the number displayed today was in the thousands!
When I was little, I loved going to meetings with my own mother as the troop leader. She had so many creative ideas and shared her positive energy with the girls who descended the stairs to the basement of Lincoln Elementary. I fondly remember those days.
I am the third generation to live in The Big White House on the corner, so I have "heirlooms" from my grandparents and parents that continue to show up in the strangest places. One day, I unearthed a box that embraced my Girl Scout sash and hat. The sash was neatly ironed and all the treasures were lovingly wrapped in tissue paper. For those of you who are "Old Anoka," the box was labelled Colburn-Hilliard's! I smiled, with a lump in my throat, when I pictured my mom gently placing those items in the box in the hope I would find them one day.
I hope she wouldn't mind Ranger modeling part of the outfit! I am sure it would have pleased her immensely! Ranger was not overly thrilled, but is always the ever-patient pup...and there were treats!
Getting back to our visit today, I must say I was impressed and charmed by the girls who sat around the table. Their attentiveness, gentle dealings with Ranger, thought-provoking questions and gratitude for our visit were all testaments to the amazing young people they are and will become. When we left, they presented us with beautiful cards to share with the people we visit each week. Those cards are going to touch a lot of hearts!
In today's world, there are often reports about people who, for whatever reason, do not try to make this world a better place. There are times when I am concerned for our future. Then, I am confronted by goodness, like having the joy of meeting this group of wonderful girls, and my doubts float away. The intelligence, kindness and excitement I saw light up their eyes gives me hope for the future. They, and other young people like them, are our real hope for tomorrow!
