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One Proud Mama

I do, of course, have two sons and have been and remain very proud of both of them.  But this post will be devoted to just one.  It is not meant in any way to indicate diminished pride in the other, but this writing is a matter of immediacy.  The son I am about to brag about will be chagrined I am focusing on this because he is unpretentious about such things.

Last evening I was lucky enough to join my son the teacher at an event where he received a certificate of appreciation from his school district.  It is an award selected by peers rather than those being paid to administer which can arguably make it all the more precious.  This son was one of 85 who received such awards during the event, and they are among a group of 3,789 teachers in the Minneapolis Public School system.  Statistically these recipients represent about 2.5% of teachers district-wide.

There was a dinner at the Nicollet Island Pavilion, a lovely venue often used for weddings due to the setting.  There were speakers from the Board of Education, a student representative, the system superintendent and head of the teachers union.  All in all it was a beautiful event, in a lovely setting with perfect outdoor weather (for Minnesotans, I found it a bit chilly after the sun set.  I was told I am a bit of a cold weather wimp, however.)

I coxed said son to pose for a photo to record the occasion.  He was very reluctant (to be generous), but we managed to get a good one shot.

That's a glass apple with his name engraved on it.

This is just outside the Pavilion overlooking St. Anthony Falls which is a part of the Mississippi River.  As you can see the sun was shining but the evening shadows of the buildings are reflecting on the River.

The Falls in the center with the 3rd Avenue Bridge above

Best of all we stopped for a quick drink at one of the local watering holes and had time to catch up.  What fun, these types of things just cannot be done from 1,500 miles (2,200 km) away.  All of which makes me a happy and proud mama indeed.  Best gifts are those shared so freely.



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