Good Morning Miss Dove

And you too – dovie!

There is a dove nesting in the weeping cherry outside my office window.  Right now I feel compelled to go hold an umbrella over her little head because it is raining torrents.  Everyday, I walk out to the tree – look at her and she looks back with her black little eyes unblinking.  I tell her good morning.  I admire her devotion and understand her dilemma.  Somewhere, the good mister is safely sheltered out of the rain while she sits on that nest.  Bless her gentle little bones – I feel quite a kinship to her.  Suddenly..it is all up to her.  Her family will succeed or fail on her devotion to her duty.

This morning I also watched the old Jennifer Jones movie “Good Morning Miss Dove.”  It made me remember, one of the first grown up books I read was this story.  I read early – largely thanks to my Grandma Sawyer who always packed my Christmas box with lots of books of the kid variety.  However, my parents had a whole bunch of Reader’s Digest condensed books and I moved on to them eventually.  The story of the little spinster school teacher was my first “adult” story.  And I hadn’t thought of it in years, but watching the movie made it all come rushing back. Sitting in the side yard under the locust tree, feeling Miss Dove’s yearnings and disappointments.  And then joyfully celebrating the achievements of students she probably agonized over.  And just as Dovie is dedicated to her job, Miss Dove proved dedicated to hers as well.  I’m fine…let’s all get back to work!