Gifts From the Past

Changing classrooms this year has become a great opportunity to clean some things out of my bookcases and cabinets.  Late Thursday afternoon, during a torrential rainstorm that delayed my going home, I was working on one shelf and discovered this old, worn copy of a Shakespeare anthology.  Since it didn't appear to be anything unusual, and there are plenty of better copies around, I started to throw it away, but looked in the front cover and discovered . . .

this name.  I have no idea how my mother-in-law's college Shakespeare textbook made it to my classroom, nor any idea how long it has been there.  Perhaps I ended up with it after Mike's dad passed away, but even if that is the case, I can't imagine how it got taken to school. 

There were about a dozen sheets of her class notes scattered throughout the book, written in fountain pen in her neat handwriting.

And even a note from what appeared to be a dorm supervisor, telling her to stop by the office for a message!

I never knew my mother-in-law, so finding a book like this is like receiving a gift from the past.  I gave it to Mike tonight, and he was pleased to see it as well--especially because he likes Shakespeare and will appreciate having this copy of his mother's.  It will not be returning to my classroom!

And this is a picture that ML found recently on someone's Facebook.  Along with some others, she had prints made, and we framed them.  I had never seen this picture of Mike's mom.  She looks like maybe about college-age here - maybe a little older.  It's been a touch to the heart to receive both connections to her in the same week.