By Vicki Scott
Last week I wrote about our veterans program at the George Wallace Senior Center in Glencoe and was praising God for all the teamwork involved in making it a complete success.
I neglected to mention the letters written by students at Coosa Christian School. They were amazing. I did not exclude the letters on purpose, but I have a purpose for acknowledging them now.
Any time our seniors receive something from young people, it is treasured. Our youth at Cove Creek Baptist Church has started taking cookies to our seniors around Christmas time and sing Christmas carols. It is getting close to that time, and I know that several seniors at the center will ask when the youngsters are coming to visit.
The letters from the Coosa Christian students were just as much of a blessing. I praise God for each one of the letters and hope to meet the writers one day. Rachel England was instrumental in the whole letter process, and we thank her so much! Rachel wants to bring some of the children to the center next year, and I am floating on a cloud at the thought of this happening. That will be a benefit to both our veterans and the students.
We also discussed the idea of the Coosa Christian students becoming pen pals with some of our seniors. The George Wallace Senior Center packs a whole lot of history and its residents have so much knowledge to pass on to the next generation. We love the visits from our young people, as well. I remember doing an interview with my great-grandmother for a book report. I learned so much from her, and she enjoyed the fellowship. My great-grandmother and I wrote each other for many years, and it was such a blessing.
It reminded me of Effie Leland Wilder, who was about 85 years old when she published her first book, Out to Pasture But Not Over the Hill. The book was about her zany times in a nursing care facility. She wrote about a child whose teacher arranged for them to write each other. During that time, the child’s father lost his job, and the family had to make some changes. Because of this pen pal relationship, the little girl received help and was able to build an even stronger relationship with her pen pal.
My head is spinning with ideas, and I am still in awe of God’s blessings that continue to flow through our Veterans Day program this year. I hope the Coosa Christian students can forgive me for neglecting them. I had them all on another mission in my mind. Thank you, Rachel, and everyone at Coosa Christian for your participation in making our veterans program a success. We praise God for you all!