Lisa Miller Sablosky

During a recent attic storage reorganization, I came across this diploma from the Glencoe Public Schools certifying my completion of the eighth grade under their careful tutelage. Coming from a difficult home environment, school was always a safe haven and a place I loved. The diploma itself means little, but it did serve to remind me of that time and to focus on what it meant to grow up in Glencoe.

I suppose I am more emotional about the past right now . . . given my age and the current state of unrest we are living through. And my memories may not be that accurate. But I harbor a sense of gratitude for Glencoe, the town that educated us so well, made us feel safe and protected, and allowed me personally to create deep and meaningful friendships that have carried in to my “older” age. And I would be less than truthful if I didn’t wish that my grandchildren could grow up in that same simpler world, safely riding their bikes to the beach and the deli and playing outside until after dark on those long summer nights in the neighborhood. 

But time marches on and change is part of that. I remain appreciative of the good start that the Glencoe schools and community gave to me, both academically and socially. And I will hang on to this little diploma as a reminder.