Not only did I bask in the celebration of Easter this past weekend, I was in the classroom. Our weekend started early with a trip to the Andings in Birmingham. The four grands there are “little” adults now and are road-ready for trips away from parents.

Othel and I wanted to treat them to a night away from home with privileges that grandparents have earned and are allowed! We checked into a nearby hotel and went straight to the swimming pool. The first season’s swim is a bonus for children, but Major was hampered with the sling he was told “not to remove.” A fractured collar bone was needing the sling’s protection and support.

The other three grands cannon-balled into the water, and Major followed with crippled wing held to his side. Instead of complaining about his handicap, he swam with his one free arm. Instead of having a pity party on the side of the pool, he obeyed his instructions and made the best of a less than optimum circumstance. Major was an adolescent professor, and I was the student.

Shields, the oldest, taught me patience and putting others first when she spent most of her pool time playing with her four-year-old brother. It blessed me to see her take on the leadership role of being the first born.

Patton slowed her usual pool pace and played games with Major. When his sling would end up on the back side of his neck, she would help him readjust the man-made hindrance. Her sensitive, kind heart was a visual lesson.

James, the 4-year-old “baby,” taught me how to enjoy life’s blessings. He had no hindrances or special rules to follow. His older siblings became his kind caretakers, and he relished every free back-ride around the pool.

As Othel and I relaxed around the pool, the four grands laughed and flourished in a childhood filled with love and care. I thought how blessed they were — free of hunger, and no worries about survival or a safe place to sleep. How long would it take for them to fully grasp their blessings? Secondly, how much would I take to heart the lessons they exhibited to me — acceptance with joy, self-denial, kindness, and celebration of life?

The prelude to Easter Sunday that took place around a poolside was rich with life lessons!

Letters to Camille Anding can be sent to P.O. Box 551, Brookhaven, MS, 39602, or e-mailed to camille@datalane.net.