Sr. Rose, A Tough Cookie

Sister Rose taught Freshmen English at Mercy High School in St. Louis back in the days of the wagon trains. She was about 4’6” tall in full black habit and had a very powerful “presence”. Sr. Rose spoke loudly and carried a big wooden ruler. Sr. Rose was not into “funny business”. 

Due to a pretty good “bob and weave” I was able to avoid some of Sr. Rose’s shots to the knuckles. My good friend Rick Floyd was just too much of a wise guy and often would hear, “Floyd see me after school”….. whack.

As I endeavor to write a daily BLOG, I’m often happy to just crank out something semi-coherent and I have to do a “quick & dirty” analysis of the grammar…hoping that the errors are not too obvious. Sometimes I read an old BLOG and realize Sr. Rose would have had me on the carpet with some of my grammatical errors….”Touhill, see me after school today…… oh no Sister, I promise to never do another BLOG… oh no, not the ruler….”

Some of Sr. Rose’s students didn’t have kind words to describe her, but in truth she really loved her students and wanted them to do well. She just would not let you get away with poor English grammar. She was a tough cookie. But Sr. Rose was a very loving person. 

I’m sure she received a great  welcome home to heaven. I can picture St. Peter getting the word, “It’s Sister Rose” and immediately beginning to sweat remembering his essay on “Fishing” that he got a “D” and a knuckle rap.  “Hey Nathanial, I have to go to the bathroom, will you cover the pearly gates for a bit….. no way Jose….”

Perspective is often helpful. For a 15 year old Freshman, Sr. Rose was the enemy and needed to be avoided at all cost. Yet as an adult you realize that she was filled with love and wanted the best for all her students. Sometimes her methods were painful, but like the Lord’s discipline, “they yielded the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. (Hebrews 12:11) 

Thank God for all those in our life who have been used by God to help us grow in the life and discipline of the Lord.