By Bryan Nolan
Texas, USA
The summer I was six, my family moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin. I spent most of my days playing around the house or hanging around my mother. But finally fall arrived, and I began second grade. I went to St. Eugene’s and was introduced to my new teacher, Sister Monda. I was a bit taken aback by this kind woman with robust features. She was nothing like I imagined a nun would be. She had a loud voice, walked briskly about, and always wore a smile.
School days carried the normal activity of classes, lunch, and recess. Recess was always the toughest time for me. Being rather shy, it was difficult for me to make friends. On the playground I would sit with my back to the other kids, crying. I missed my mother, but I also feared the belittlement of having the other kids see me crying. This went on day after day and seemed like it would never end. Then one day I saw my mother stopped at the gas station across the street from the playground. Noticing her, I bolted across the road, oblivious to the traffic and car brakes screeching, and made it to her side safely. By this point, I was crying hysterically and pleading with my mother to take me home.
Instead, Mom took me to the principal’s office, and Sister Monda joined us there. When asked how we could remedy the situation, Sister Monda simply stated, “It’s time to get busy.”
And get busy we did. When recess rolled around, Sister Monda was the full-time quarterback for both teams. She made sure every kid got an opportunity to catch the football, hike it, and defend against her awesome passing ability. She got everyone involved in games of dodgeball. In reality, she set herself up to be the main target of all the balls the other kids and I tossed, but I don’t think she minded that one bit. She was the best (and tallest) basketball player, but she always made certain everyone got a chance to shoot for the basket and dribble the ball down the court.
That was long ago. I now have two boys and a loving wife, but I carry the torch Sister Monda once held. One day, my older son came to me during his first year in school, explaining how much he missed his momma and me when he was in school. My advice: “Get busy. Don’t let the longing thoughts invade your mind. Find something to do. Make friends with others. Make friends with any and all of the new kids at school. Help prevent them from having those longing thoughts.” The next day he thanked me for the advice, saying that it had helped him make it through the day.
Thank you, Sister Monda. You will always be a great inspiration in my life.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 4:25 — 4.1MB)
Great story. Keep the great stories coming.
I can relate to Bryan’s story, as we moved around a lot while I was growing up. My step-dad raised and raced greyhound dogs and when I was in the second grade, I attended 3 different grade schools in 3 different states. Needless to say, I always had problems making friends, as we never stayed in one place for very long. I could have used a Sister Monda in my life, as Bryan did in his. Unfortunately, it was not to be. I finally learned how to make friends when I joined the Navy and have made some very good and close friends in the years that followed.
It is hard to make friends when you are always the “new kid”. Bryan had Sister Monda, you had the US Navy but I’m glad you both learned how to make friends.