Bre Watt: The Holyoke Soldier's Home

My first day of the second grade, I knew no one except the teacher and my younger brother. Kindergarten and first grade had been easy enough, but I was scared of the upcoming year. The only thing I knew about being the new kid was that it hadn’t panned out too great for Addie from the American Girl books. Mrs. Henson’s class was fairly quiet throughout the day, for most kids were nervous or tired. We neared the end of the day and I was ecstatic over the fact that hadn’t made a complete fool of myself. I hadn’t met anyone yet, but I thought that that would be a challenge for another day. Unfortunately, that’s not what Mrs. Henson had in mind. She sent us all out to recess with a grin plastered on her face and with me practically kicking

One of the challenges of growing up is loneliness. As a small child living in Brooklyn Francie had no friends her age, the kids in her neighborhood that would have been candidates for friends either found her too quiet or shunned her for being different. "So

In a quest for a sense of belonging and success in life as well as a need for survival and money from a steady job, Richard attempts to conform to the social rules of those around him and the expectations of how he must behave like a second-class citizen. To feel like a part of the community and to please his family in hopes of improving his home life, Richard begins to attend a Protestant church. He consents to become a member of the church and is baptized, but he does so to please his mother and because his need for association and acceptance with a group is immense. After the church service that night, Richard reflects, “I had not felt anything except a sullen anger and a crushing sense of shame. Yet I was somehow glad that I had got it over with; no barriers now stood between me and the community”. In addition to these expectations from his family and the black community he associated with,

However, the class environment is much different which causes Charlotte to change the way that she views her extravagant teacher. The new classroom could be described to have an environment that was based upon hostility and disdain. Miss Hancock is the new target of mockery, she is given no respect. Charlotte begins to take part in the antics of her new class. Miss Hancock raises her arms and a boy yells “‘let us pray’”. (5) Laughter exploded within the room and Charlotte joined as she “snickered fiercely” (5) behind her duo tang folder. The pressure of the entire class laughing has an impact on Charlotte that causes her to disrespect Miss Hancock by joining in. The new environment is beginning to cause Charlotte to change the way that she had initially treated Miss Hancock. Furthermore, the new student-created environment causes Charlotte to fear speaking to Miss Hancock publicly. As a result of this, Charlotte arranges to speak to Miss Hancock after class as she “wanted to be sure that [the conversation] would not be witnessed.” (5) The new environment has pressured Charlotte into avoiding contact with Miss Hancock as she likely wants to avoid being also mocked by her classmates. The class has changed Charlotte’s character by indirectly causing her to fear interacting with Miss

She begins teaching children at the Dame School. One day, Kit got bored with the old lesson so she decides to have the children act out a part of the bible, “The Tale of The Good Samaritan”.The head of the school Mr. Kimberly walks in and is very angry at Kit. Frustrated and upset Mr.Kimberly shuts down the school.”Mr. Kimberley flourished his cane at the silent children. "Go directly home, boys and girls. The school is dismissed. Do not come back tomorrow. We will send word if the school will continue" (Speare 89) Kit was heart broken and wandered off to the meadows where she meet elderly Hannah Turper. Hannah tells Kit about how she is an outcast and explains that she is a Quaker. Townspeople outcasted Hannah because she was different. “Back along South Road Kit walked with a light- ness and freedom she had never known since the day she sailed into Saybrook Harbor. Hannah Tupper was far from being a witch, but certainly she had worked a magic charm. In one short hour she had conjured away the rebellion that had been seething in the girl's mind for weeks”(Speare 97). Kit and Hannah form a bond by being outcasted. The Christian church has outcasted these woman because they are different which is very hypocritical. Elizabeth George Speare was trying to convey the hypocrites and how people judge. In the article “What About Hypocrites in the Church” by Focus on the Family, they talk about how religions have been growing

As a child Mary’s mother, Hazel was a chartered member of “Beulah Seventh Day Adventist Church” (currently City Temple SDA Church). This is where Mary gained she introduction and devotion for Christ and the Adventist Faith. Attended Sabbath School, prayer meetings, Friday evening vespers and church school along with her older brother, Marvin was a foundation of life; Church was family and family was church. With her mother an active matron within the church, singing in the choir and serving in the Dorcas Society, tagging along to these activities quickly ignited in her a desire to sing and serve. A recognized desire for Family, church, friends, singing, and service that would remain

In Maria Byrd’s second letter to her son she specifies the churches recent worship schedule: “Mr. Thomas Davis preached at our church on Sunday last & is to give us a sermon again Thursday & has published giving the Sacrament this month.” (Tinling 1977, 689). Mrs. Byrd also notes the church’s attempt to book attract other pastors to preach to the congregation. It is important to note that in spite of the new responsibilities taken by parishes, worship of the assembly was maintained as the primary function of the

James’ mother respected Reverends who grew up in the South in the old days. She says they used to know how to fire up a church the old-fashioned way. She didn’t like to hear sermon’s that involved politics, bad mouthing, and negativity. Ruth praised Reverends who were able to bring together a church with “real talk of God and genuine concern for their parishioners.” This style of preaching was similar to that of her “home” church, New Brown Memorial.

Theresa was a good catholic girl. Her faith was important to her. She went to mass on Sundays, her mom was very involved in the community and her dad had a very important job. Her family was the normal American family. Her dad’s job required them to move around a lot and because of that she never had true friendships. One day her family moved to Birmingham and her life changed dramatically.

Ralph sits in the Pere Marquette rail depot in Flint, fidgeting with the lose button on his overcoat, and looking down at his shabby brown shoes. The morning sun is low and catches dust in its light as it shines through the windows. His eyes dart to the door every time it opens. He is expecting a cop to walk in at any moment. He is getting desperate and would look suspicious if it wasn’t for his overall gentle appearance. He gets up and checks the time tables for the fourth time and debates if he should inquire why the train is late. He walks to the window and watches the congregation gathering outside the Lakeview Methodist Episcopal Church, which ironically is housed in the former Flint Brewery building and has been since 1915, when

Angela “Angie” Robin Drury is the second daughter to father, Ronald Baxley, and mother, Mary Baxley. Born in Thomaston, Georgia, Angie grew up on a farm with her two sisters where she lived for 20 years. Growing up, her father being a former Navy officer, she experience a very strict household with little attention being given to her. Aside from home, Angie also experienced hardship in school being as her mother is Hispanic and father is White; growing up in the 60s and 70s was filled with no tolerance of different races, so her darker complexion made her a target a various racial terms as opposed to her older sister who inherited paler features and thrived in social settings. On top of her biracial background, Angie grew up in a household that held two different branches of Christianity, Catholic and Baptist. Though forced to practice both religions, as adult she decided to become a Baptist though she did not believe in any religion. Being that she did not like the feeling of having no control, Angie’s forced regular attendance caused her a lot of anger.

In reality, the church has played a major role in the life of Mother Audine Blue. Truly, the love for her church family is undeniable. However, she misses her great grandson that she helped raised. Reflecting on their relationship, she recalls anything he wanted, asked for, she gave him. Unfortunately, her only daughter had a misunderstanding with years ago and they never reconciled. And yet, Henry Shelton Blue, her husband left many years ago and never returned. Thank God for the closeness of her brother, cousins, her personal care giver and her church family that supports

The school year approached its end. Another summer to spend alone by myself. The cycle had been repeating since I was in grade school. Sadness choked me as I returned home and shut my door. Every year, the resolution was the same: I would try to make friends next year; however, every year, I felt myself falling back down into the same trap. By the time high school began, I no longer felt the numb sensation of sadness or the flow of tears as the final day of May became the last day I talked with my “friends.” I no longer expected to make any friends, or, more accurately, I no longer expected to be able to make any friends. The sheer possibility of befriending an individual appeared to me as foreign as speaking in latin. When I walked into school, what should have been a site of chatter, opportunity, and growth appeared to me as a form of imprisonment and torture; however, unbeknownst to me, I did have friends; something of which I did not recognize until years passed by. I grown attached to certain conversations; there were times where I felt the need to initiate a conversation rather than waiting for someone else to make one. It was not until one of my friends told me,”We’re your friends aren’t we?” when I realized I was not longer

Barbara made sure Cedric was either in school, in the locked apartment or at Scripture Cathedral” (Suskind 35). She did not want him just walking the streets as there were many drug dealers. Barbara and Cedric spend every minute they can at the sanctuary of Scripture Cathedral (Suskind 35). They “came to Pentecostalism from a life of poverty and neglect, the church provided both moral orderliness an an absolution for past failures that finally allowed her peace about all that had gone wrong over the years”(Suskind 36). He church playing crucial role in their lives. Going to church offered Cedric and Barbara “destinations of good and evil and strict rules forbidding common activities” (Suskind 36). By going to Scripture Cathedral all the time

As the girl continues on to grow up she is continually facing challenges with her confidence and thus affecting her emotionally and physically. For instance, one of the line states that “ she went to