Grandfather Says: The Continuing Chronicles of Elaine, Part 50

The following was written by my late wife Elaine. She wrote a long book, a diary really, from which this is one passage:

To get my special ed certification, I completed six courses, one per semester, which was hard after working with students and sometimes driving long distances each day, then commuting over an hour each way for classes in Beckley lasting two or three hours, but I got it.  I enjoyed the homebound job very much, and it was worth all the effort, and over the years I came to feel like a member of the families of three of these students for whom the homebound teacher position was created by Monroe County Schools because of the law passed in 1974, stating that all students must be served by the public schools.

My first assignment in September was to plan activities for two permanently disabled students, and I spent three days a week at the home of one, and two days a week at the other’s.

As temporarily disabled students were added to my schedule, at the same time I was assigned my third “permanent and regular student,” and I adjusted the schedule as fairly as I could, to “serve” all of them.

After nine years in this position, sadly, two of my very first homebound students have died. I continued to see the last one, along with other students temporarily homebound, including some who were pregnant, some who were expelled for having drugs in school, kids with broken legs, school phobia, or whatever health situation came long.

I loved it all, but these three will always be in my heart, and so will their families.

The third child came into the homebound program after attending school for as many years as he could. A very thoughtful boy, he was loved by all who knew him. We worked on regular school subjects and on some spare-time activities which he could enjoy doing at home after school. He liked to make things, and his mother and I watched for possible things he could do. Their family was active in church life, and he enjoyed his church associations. So his life was full, and he was happy, but it was noticeable that diabetes was gradually taking its toll on him, and he died at 17; thinking of him still saddens me.

The funerals of these two kids I loved were very emotional for me to attend.

To be continued…

***

About the Author: RD Blakeslee is a nonagenarian in West Virginia who built his net worth by only investing in that which can be enjoyed during acquisition and throughout life, as opposed to papers in a drawer, like stocks and bonds. You can read more about him here.

Photos: Courtesy of the Blakeslee Family