It's a Vivas Thing!

You are here: Home / Archives for Hope

The Golden Years!

Today, my parents celebrate their 50th anniversary! We don’t see much of that anymore. What I’ve learned from their marriage:

  • Unconditional love.
  • Grace
  • Commitment
  • Humor (Lots of it!)
  • Sometimes it’s better to back off then continue on; otherwise no one wins and everyone loses.
  • We’re in this together!

THRU THE YEARS

RUBEN & FRANCINE LUNA

MARRIED OCTOBER 13, 1963

HAPPY 50TH ANNIVERSARY!

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY! WE LOVE YOU!

 

Large Families

Reasons to have a large family:

1) There is always someone around to talk to.

2) There are a lot of people willing to stand up for you. (Granted there are also more people to pick on you!)

3) There are a lot of people to choose from to get a slurpee…or Starbucks …or ice cream with….

4) There is twice as much laughter (as well as other feelings)

5) There is usually someone around to kill a spider for you…or a cockroach…or a giant flesh eating moth!

6) There is always someone to fix the tv for you.

7) There is someone to go shopping with.

8) There is someone to snapchat with at all times.

9) Sharing a story with a group of crazies like you is always possible with a large family.

And the newest reason?

10) When the youngest vomits the nastiest stuff you’ve ever seen… There are plenty of members to put on the gloves and masks and help you to get it all up.

…and laugh at how great it is to have a large family to die with together as you try and live thru the clean up process!

I love my large family!!!!

We can’t make this stuff up…

Working at a school can be fun…and interesting…and draining…and

FUNNY

And anyone that works at a school cannot possibly explain what a first day of the school year is like…because no one would believe us.

Honest…and you know what I’m talking about if you’re one of us….

We’re the ones that sign up year after year for this….because we love it.

And we’re dedicated.

Even when….

A parent tries to drop their child off in the middle of heavy traffic and wants to know if you are serious when you tell the child to get back in because it is too dangerous and for mom to proceed to the designated safe spot. (BTW – we’re serious about keeping your kids safe.)

Or, a parent is too impatient to wait for you to cross them, so they plunge ahead while you put your life at risk with flag and body to stop traffic from hitting them…because we’re just nice like that.

Then there’s Kindergartner who has never been away from mom  who tries to make a run for it. And then cries because his little heart is broken…and yet, with patience and determination…and a lot of kindness, he learns to relax and enjoy his first, first day of school.

And the many elementary students who forgot what the name of their teacher is…or how to find the bathroom…or….or

Then there’s the older secondary student who is supposed to be picked up by the bus…only a near …relative …decides to take him home…but both the relative and the student forget to let the school or mom know that the bus is no longer needed because they have taken the student home. Forget that you’ve ran around the campus in three digit weather looking for the child who really isn’t missing after all; not to mention needlessly worried a parent…

Most of all, there’s the exhaustion of hundreds of parents asking you hundreds of questions….

And what feels like hundreds of students against one of you….

And you go home at the end of the day completely exhausted….but content…because you made it through the first day of the school year.

And you’ll forever remember that one thing that stood out.

Like the 1st grader who is standing off by himself while everyone else is lining up..so you go and ask him what’s up? Why are you over here by yourself?

And you get a bewildered…”I just don’t know how it happened?”

And you hesitate to ask…because you never know what the answer is…but you ask anyway, “How what happened?”

To which he replies, “I don’t know how it happened…it just popped out?”

And you tentatively ask, “How what popped out?” (all the while praying he isn’t talking about a bone…)

And then he holds out his hand and replies, “My tooth.”

And with a great big sigh of relief, you take yet another child to the health office so he can put his tooth in a tiny little treasure box to take home to his mother…

Whose probably upset that she missed that moment when….her child’s tooth just….popped….out.

Pam Hooper – An Angel from Heaven

It’s not often in our lives we meet someone who makes such a difference that it changes the way we view ourselves. A little over 22 years ago, I walked into Green Valley Baptist Church a mess. I was a young, single mother, who was at the point of not really caring what others thought of me. My plan was to be a strong, independent woman, who would raise my son all on my own without any help from anyone or any God…because if what I had been told about  God were really true, I wanted no part of Him.

My 15 year old neighbor girl at the time had invited me. I didn’t want to hurt her feelings or turn her down, so I went. I somehow ended up in a Bible study that morning. I remember listening and thinking…yeah right.

I couldn’t get all of the ugliness out of my head. All of the bad things that had happened and led me to that point in my life. All of the anger and hurt.

And then, I met Pam Hooper.

Pam saved my life that day. She spent hours with me, showing me scripture and explaining to me who God really was; that He wasn’t who I had been led to believe He was. That He was a God of Love and Compassion. And that He had a plan for my life.

Thru the years, Pam never forgot my birthday. She was always available for a phone call, a hug, a kind word, an ear, and an open heart. She has truly been my spiritual mom. Whenever anyone has asked, “Who has made an impact on your life?” I always answer, Pam Hooper.

Pam has shown me what it is to truly love someone. She has inspired me to be a better person; to love, to listen, to encourage, to be there for others, no matter who or what they are or have been through. She has taught me not to judge, but to understand.

She was there for me when I met my husband a few months later. She was at my wedding, rejoiced at the births of our many children and more.

My children all know who Pam Hooper is. Even the younger ones. The other day I was surprised to find out that my younger daughter remembered her since she has moved away. She replied, “Pam Hooper? Of course I know her mommy, you always talk about her.”

I know without a doubt that God sent Pam to me that day. I can only one day hope to be a smidgen of an influence to someone the way she has been to me. She is a beautiful angel from God.

Over the years, I have thought of writing about Pam. Something has always held me back. Until now. Pam is sick and my heart breaks at the thought of losing such an beautiful person; but God is calling her home. It has taken me some time to get up the courage to write about her. But I wanted her to know how much she means to me. Love like this doesn’t come all that often.

I love you so much, Pam. It has been such an honor to have you in my life. I can only pray that I can be there for someone else, the way you have been there for me. You are truly an angel sent from Heaven.

Love Always,

Hope