Going Away 50s Party

The Dalewood Days: that is how our family refers to them. When I was in 2nd grade, we moved from Charleston, SC to Nashville, TN. There my dad was pastor of Dalewood Baptist Church for six years. Although middle school years probably don’t rise to the top of anyone’s list as their favorite season of life, I have some precious memories of those days, especially as a child. Our children’s choir did some great musicals that I still remember. Hey God, Listen! and Hey God, What is Christmas were fun to sing and had great lessons in them. I had caring SS teachers, was involved in a fun church-led program/club that met after school each week, and most days I even enjoyed being the PK. 🙂 I loved school early on (not so much later on, ha), despite the fact that the public schools were really in a mess in those years. I believe it was because some truly special teachers loved me and worked with me to succeed. My 4th grade year was possibly my all-time favorite year of school, but I had a wonderful 5th grade too. Dalewood and Dan Mills schools were very good to me. Carol and I always looked forward to Fall carnivals there. I think of them this time of year.

As I have said before, my life has had lots of goodbyes in it. Carol and I left some good friends when we moved to Alabama in 1978 and I am very thankful for the ministry my parents had at DBC. They recall them with much affection and appreciation. There was a major sad event that happened in our family’s life while we lived there, a significant life change for me, and a BIG snow/ice storm hit the year we moved, but those are for another day. 🙂