Another Good Hepburn Story and I was Sister Luke Once

I should write a book about my teaching, and maybe I will one day. I traveled around the United States and even abroad, and I had some wonderful experiences. It was always funny when I did an interview for a new teaching position, as the first thing that they said was, "Boy, you have taught in a lot of places!" I always felt that it made me a better teacher with lots of interesting stories to tell my students, but I have to admit that all my travels always created a reaction. LOL

I was thinking of Audrey Hepburn again this morning and all the influence she has had on my life. I had watched the Nun's Story, which I adored, and needless to say, I wanted to be Sister Luke and travel to Africa like Audrey did. Well, I landed up taking a job at St. Gabriel Hall in PA instead and funny enough there became Sister Luke. I took that job because of Audrey Hepburn, as she always in her personal life tried to help people, and I landed up mostly teaching troubled children over my teaching career. Anyways, St. Gabriel was a school for boys who had been adjudicated ungovernable by the juvenile courts, and this was their last chance to make it before they went to adult prison. I was good at working with what they called "bad" students, and I got the job. It turned out being one of my best jobs, as I loved working with the kids and especially with the priests and the nuns there. I told them once that I always wanted to be Sister Luke, and one of the priests who loved me said that you have such a gift with the children, you really should have been a nun, so he officially dubbed me Sister Luke and gave me a habit, which I landed up wearing two weeks a year each year that I was there. It was funny to see the childrens' reactions when I put on the habit and it was the standing joke there, but I was truly called Sister Luke by one and all. During the two weeks of the year, I wore the habit, I had so much fun seeing the students' faces, as they were never quite sure if I was a nun or not. When I decided to leave St. Gabriel, because I just couldn't make it on the salary that they were paying me, as I was a single mom with no child support,it was so hard to say goodbye to them all! My habit was hung up on a hanger and they said that I would always be Sister Luke. I will never forget that each morning, that priest, who had given me my habit, came to my classroom and blessed me and thanked me for all that I was doing for the children. I so missed them all, because in the public schools, the administration surely didn't do that. I wish that I could have stayed!!!!

Audrey Hepburn really did have a great influence in my life. I landed up taking most of my teaching positions with really difficult students , and I loved every minute that I taught them. I was so inspired by her personal life and all that she did for children in Africa, so this was my way of helping children.

I will tell you another great story tomorrow about my teaching experiences. This story also means a lot to me, and you will love it. It's a bit of a tear jerker, but quite the story.

Have a blessed weekend! This is Sister Luke signing off for a short while.