Let Me Love You a Little More...: Labor Day Weekend (Day 4)

The last day of Labor Weekend brought a sweet surprise!

My girlfriend, Julieanne, and I decided to meet for coffee in our jammies. Seriously. No fancy hair, makeup, or outfits. Just clean faces, cute jammies, and hot coffee.

Julieanne has an amazingly beautiful custom-built home. It is always a joy to visit her. Her home is warm and inviting and decorated with all things music! A baby grand piano, her husband's drum studio in the basement, head shots of her during her years on Broadway (really!), and photos of her with her gorgeous children teaching them piano or performing on stage are all a part of her well-appointed home. It truly represents HER life and family.

Currently, she is the drama/music teacher at Bishop Ward High School. Like me, Julieanne teaches in the urban core. (This is her first year and my second year after both having taught in the Archdiocesan school system. Talk about change!) When she told me last Spring that she was considering a job offer at Ward she also wanted my opinion on what to do. I overwhelmingly encouraged her to take a chance on experiencing interacting with amazingly resilient and beautiful children. Their lives are not easy, and they often bring a lot of trauma with them into the classroom, but if anyone could make a difference (and bring the gift of music therapy) in these high schoolers lives, I knew it to be her. In my opinion, this was a God-initiative.

Anyway, when I arrived at her home with a sunny summer arrangement of flowers to surprise her for hosting on our impromptu coffee date, she surprised ME with a birthday breakfast! It was simple and delicious. The weather cooperated (for early September in Kansas) with a constant breeze and we got in some much needed girl time over french vanilla coffee and cinnamon rolls on her covered patio.

Thank you, Julieanne, for remembering my birthday and sharing a part of your Labor Day weekend with me. It was a delightful morning and one I won't soon forget.