Thinking of Them Thursdays - Week 2

Welcome to Thinking of Them Thursdays- Week 2!

Where we shed light on those who are sharing their light with others

Here's what to do:
                
                     1) Write a poem/ fiction 55/ short story

                     2) Post a link back to the charity's/person's website  on your post and post                            link to Thinking of Them Thursdays .

                         You can use the Thinking of Them Thursdays button to link up, if you want. The photo
                         was  taken by me.Thank you to my husband and my dog for posing for it.

                     3) Leave the link to your blog post in the Mister Linky section below

                     4) Please stop by and leave a comment on the post of some of the other participants.

The prompt is open to anyone.

Looking forward to reading your posts.

Thank you in advance for your participation in

Thinking of Them Thursdays- Week 2

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 For Thinking of Them Thursdays - Week 2.... I chose to write about  George Dawson.

                                             Photo of George Dawson. Photographer unknown.

     George Dawson was born on Jan 18, 1898 and died at the age of 103 on July 5, 2001. He grew up poor and worked doing hard labor from an early age. Later on , he married his wife Elzenia and they went on to have seven children . All of his children graduated from high school and college. He continued working until the age of 79.  At the age of 98 , he entered a literacy program to learn how to read. While in the program , Oprah featured him in one of her episodes of the Oprah Winfrey Show. At the age of 102, he co-authored a book about his life called, Life is so Good ,with the help of Richard Glaubman . 

    What is so inspiring about him is that despite all the hardship he had gone through , he still had so much optimism about life and such determination to learn to read and write. Even after his death , he continues to inspire those who read his book, hear about his story, and who walk through the halls of  George Dawson Middle School, a school in Southlake, Texas that was named after him after his death.

I wrote the poem below in the voice of George Dawson,

These past hundred years

These past hundred years,

I've worked and struggled,

but I've also loved and been loved,

seen my children grow into adults,

and seen the world change.

Life is so good, don't you know?

As I sit on my front porch,

and smile at those who walk by,

I wonder, if they know how

good life is...

I know.

I know what the love of a women can do.

I know what the love of a family can do.

I know what the kindness of a stranger can do.

I know what following your dreams can do.

I smile just thinking about the memories

of all those I have loved that have crossed my path.

grateful for the time I've spent with them,

grateful for all they have given me.

Yes, it's true. Life is so good. 

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Now its your turn. Thanks for stopping by...