Lulu

Tonight I want to tell you about Lulu.  Like so many schools, JFK could not subsist without her.  Not only is she the MS school secretary, she is like a second mom to many of the teachers and students in the building.  Lulu is a warm, squat, woman in her early 50s with short-cropped hair that she dyes various colors depending on the season and her mood; she wears bright clothes with tasteful patterns, and her glasses have a hint of red around the rims.  She desires to be an elementary teacher some day but worries she may not.  You see, here in Mexico there is a mandatory retirement age of 65 years old.  12 years stand between Lulu and accomplishing her dream.  Her husband does not earn a high enough income for Lulu to attend education classes full time without working, and JFK is one of the best employment opportunities in the area, so she attends classes a few times a week, works full time at the school, and volunteers in a classroom on Saturdays.  I don’t know how she does it because her job at school would be enough to make me retire early.  In the midst of constant interruption from students, staff, phone calls, and her boss, she somehow manages to accomplish all of her tasks and still pour into the people around her in Spanish or English.  I can spend a whole period just conversing with her about any topic, and I always feel like that was time well spent.  I do not know what the future holds for Lulu, but I trust God with her and pray she will have a classroom of her own before time runs out.