People of Compassion
Ray and I had our first date on March 1, 1974. We celebrate that anniversary every year. Our celebration yesterday sandwiched in between Texas Tour stops, but we did manage an Italian supper in Marble Falls, Texas, which was on the way between stops number three yesterday and number four today.
Compassion at Fort Hood
Texas Tour stop number three was at the Fort Hood army base (the largest active duty armored post in the United States Armed Services), where we had the opportunity to speak to staff members who offer support to military families who have chosen to homeschool their children. We also met staff members who help parents who have children who are struggling with various issues in school and who therefore might benefit from homeschooling.
I can hardly imagine what children in military families go through as they move from place to place, transfer from school to school, and cope with the realities of how their parents serve our country. I ache for their mamas who watch them struggle.
Homeschooling offers these families some stability in the midst of instability. The staff members we met yesterday wanted to learn ways they could help parents help their children. I was impressed and encouraged by the compassion, openness, and kindness of these several women and one man who help these military families.
Compassion in Round Rock
Now I’d like to share a story of compassion that happened before we arrived at Fort Hood. After our filming on Tuesday, we had moseyed over to Austin, stopping at interesting (and yummy) places along the way. We made it to Austin about dusk and went for a short visit to the state capitol.
Ray and I weren’t the only Tennesseans inside the Texas state capitol on Tuesday night.
We found Sam Houston and Davy Crockett inside, too. Like Ray and I, they were both born in Tennessee.
Our appointment at Fort Hood wasn’t until 1:00 p.m. so we had time to stop in Round Rock, Texas, on our way. My one playtime request for the day was to find a delicious Czech kolache for breakfast. The sausage and cheese kolaches we found at Round Rock Donuts (founded in 1926) were delicious, . . .
. . . and even more so since we got to eat them out front on a sunny, breezy day. Kolaches were a favorite treat when we used to visit our daughter Bethany and her husband in Texas, so we shared them with her vicariously by chatting on the phone while we munched.
We didn’t try the chocolate-covered Texas Sized Round Rock Donut in the display case. They’re as big as your head.
Maybe next time . . .
A dapper elderly Latino gentleman with a dignified cane came out of Round Rock Donuts, accompanied by a young employee carrying twelve dozen donuts. The elderly gentleman was about to take his twelve dozen donuts to the same place he carries them once a month — to the police station.
As I was telling you on Tuesday, Texas has so many heroes and heroines. It’s wonderful when the people God made in His image reveal through their actions that that is true.
God created man in His own image,
in the image of God He created him;
male and female He created them.
Genesis 1:27