Mi Escuelita Reunion

Saturday was a beautiful, beautiful day. Not only did the sun shine all day, but Ashley, Al, and Sunny hosted a reunion of Mi Escuelita, the bilingual preschool that was Sunny's second home growing up and Ashley's second (unpaid) job, and created a nurturing, loving community of diverse peoples who still think of each other as family. I was late arriving, but it was evident that hundreds of hours of work had paid off. Thanks Caroline and Tanya and all the folks who responded to the invitations and phonecalls. Thanks to Caroline's family and Tanya's family. I know EVERYONE pitched in. The house looked perfect, from the baloons and streamers to the ongoing picture show in the living room (can you believe our children were that cute and we were that young???), to the fantastic food and the amazing soccer game that lasted four hours. I understand why the kids didn't want to leave. I didn't either. When Tanya asked me "Wouldn't it be great if this moment could last forever?" I agreed from the bottom of my heart. I do think this is a little of my idea of heaven: lots of children, lots of love, lots of wonderful food and friendship and everyone wishing only the very best for everyone else. And personally invested in each other's happiness. Amen.

Thank you, God, for the families of Mi Escuelita that through the years have invested in our common dream. Thanks for Maria Elena and Ana and the original teachers and parents who couldn't come. Thanks for Gabi and Katushka and the wonderful teachers that came and went through the years. I thank you specially that you brought Ashley and Sunny to Mi Escuelita on their daily walks and that they became part of this family. I remember Sunny before she could walk, carried up the steps behind my office to the swing, always with her big hats lest Ashley find her getting direct exposure, always happy and determined. Thank you that Ashley agreed to be on the board and chair our board, even when nobody really knew what we were doing. Thank you for bringing Nancy and Mayi and Caroline and all the other board members to help make decisions. God, all I had was a vision and the belief that what we were trying to do was absolutely and totally essential to the human development of our children. How could Sofia grow up to be the person I wanted her to be if I had to choose between Black or White childcare, rich or poor? There had to be an alternative. Thank you that Ashley already had that vision and had been working on making Chapel Hill the kind of town where Mi Escuelita could become a reality. Thank you for her expertise and her friends who helped only because they believed in her.

God, bless Ashley tonight. Heal her and strengthen her that we may enjoy many more reunions and grow old watching our children playing and laughing together. Amen.