Sandra Miller's "Teachable Moments: A Woman's Journey of Self-Discovery" is a memoir that is also a love letter from the author to her mother, Barbara Hauck. Kara Rose's whimsical drawings provide a welcome touch. Sandra tells her story from childhood to the present in a series of vignettes divided into five sections. They're titled: "Growing Up Years," "School Years," "Taking Big Risks," "Mountain Adventures," and "Appreciating Life." I recently met Sandra and found her to be a delightful and talented raconteur. I purchased her book for this reason, and also because she is a local author living in Boalsburg and writing about central and south-central Pennsylvania.
Sandra spent the early years of her childhood in Lancaster, and later moved to York in 1945. She is the fifth child of seven from a conservative Mennonite family. Sandra's mother urged her children to make work fun, and to always look for something positive in every situation. Turning work into play was easy for Sandra. While collecting fresh eggs, for example, she pretended to be her schoolteacher, Mrs. Eyster. Using the barn wall as a chalkboard, Sandra would write the names of state capitals, then recite them to her unruly pupils, the chickens.
Sandra greatly admired her teacher, who skillfully taught eight grades in one room. Mrs. Eyster had the older students help the younger ones; listened to her pupils read aloud from the "Dick and Jane" books; and did not hesitate to smack naughty hands with a ruler. Sandra decided she wanted to be a teacher just like Mrs. Eyster.
I particularly enjoyed the stories from Sandra's childhood. In one vignette, before her family had indoor plumbing, Sandra describes the horror of accidently dropping a chamber pot at the top of the stairs. But, her always positive mother just laughed, helped clean up the mess, and insisted that no harm was done.
Sandra's faith never wavered, but as she approached adolescence, she began to question some of her church's practices. Why did she have to put her lovely hair into a bun? Why did she have to cover her head with a cap? Why was jewelry forbidden? Why couldn't her family discuss politics or celebrate Memorial Day?
Sandra continued to struggle with these questions beyond her school years. In the later sections of her book, she talks about some of the pivotal moments she experienced with her husband of 53 years, Carlton, and their two daughters, Ilisa, who was born in 1969, and Inez, adopted while they were living in Bolivia in 1972. Sandra also describes other significant moments from her career as an art teacher and the sixteen years she spent running a bed & breakfast in Port Matilda. In each "teachable moment" Sandra hears her mother saying, "Keep the faith, walk the talk, forgive and let go, and never stop laughing!" Sandra's realization of how strong a role her mother's faith and guidance played throughout her own life gives depth to this journey of self-discovery. And, in discovering herself, Sandra found that she is truly her mother's daughter.
Diane Johnston Leos is from State College. She's a retired academic adviser.