Remember Red | Mary J. McCoy-Dressel

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Where’s the Chocolate? Where’s the Happy Birthday?

Posted at 5:28 pm by Mary J. McCoy-Dressel, on February 28, 2012

If I had chocolate on this day, it would be melted all over my fingers and lips because I’m a chocolate kind of girl. I have two sons who feel the same way.

Picture the Allegheny Mountains on a clear summer day. You can see mountain ridges upon mountain ridges, and the surroundings are always bathed in rich green mid summer.

Autumn makes you think you’re in a whole different area when the trees change color and everything looks like an artist’s palette. But, now we’re talking about my birthday month. This particular summer, our youngest son escorted us because, in our eyes, he was still too young to leave at home. He complained the entire trip. Our oldest son, nearly four years older, would drive up the next day.

No one mentioned my birthday. Okay, no big deal, I guess. I have this birthday every year on the same date. Couldn’t someone remember? We went about our typical first day at the cabin which meant three hours of cutting grass, dusting the furniture, and making sure there were no mouse droppings all over the kitchen counters. Remember, mountains and forests equal mice and other rodents.

On Saturday, our oldest son would arrive in his first, unpredictable car. Still, no one mentioned my birthday. One of our rituals, and necessities, was to go to town and buy groceries. Fine, I’d buy my own birthday cake—yellow with chocolate frosting. I didn’t need candles, but I sure needed the chocolate frosting.

Oh-no. They were out of cake!

I swore to remember this the next time one of these guys had a birthday. Well, it sounded good at the time. I’d never forget their birthday. At home, we put the food away and started lunch. Then our oldes son pulled in the driveway. When he got out I went to meet him, and when he turned to me, he handed me a big sheet cake brought all the way from Michigan and decorated especially for my birthday!

Was it chocolate frosting? No, but it was a beautifully decorated cake just for MOM, and even though the frosting wasn’t chocolate, the cake batter was. So, I had birthday wishes from my guys with candles and a chocolate cake. They all knew, including my husband, that he was bringing me a cake and they decided to keep it to themselves so I’d be surprised. To this day, I believe that was one of my most special birthdays.

This week’s prompt was to write a 400 word memoir piece using one of the following: wine, coffee, or chocolate. For more information and to read more pieces, visit Remember Red at Write on Edge.

Posted in #AmWriting | 6 Comments | Tagged Allegheny Mountains, birthday, chocolate, June, mary j mccoy dressel, Pennsylvania, Remember Red, summer, write on edge

Inspiration from Long Ago

Posted at 10:43 am by Mary J. McCoy-Dressel, on August 2, 2011

I will never forget my seventh grade Language Arts teacher, Mr. Somers. We had to write a paper, as we usually do in Language Arts. Maybe that’s why it was my favorite class. Let’s see—seventh grade, I was probably thirteen. I remember this writing. When I received the assignment back, it had red ink on it, but the red ink said, “Great imagination. You should be a writer!” I remember smiling. Mr. Somers liked my story.

Anyway, I remember writing the surprise ending. He liked it! I never looked at him the same anymore. No longer was he a stern teacher who demanded we work our fingers to the bone. No longer was he the tormenter who made us read those crazy books that were written by people who were born before my parents. Now, I looked at him as my mentor, and each paper I wrote was written for his approval. I began enjoying the books and noticing how authors worked their words. He was the first person who ever acknowledged my dream.

I did go on to be an author. The best part of all this? When I grew up and became a mom I began working in the same elementary school I went to. Our principal had to take a leave of absence and they needed to bring in a replacement. Do I have to tell you who it was? Through the years I knew what Mr. Somers was doing because his name was pretty high up in the ranks by this time. He was called in as acting principal! Did he remember me? Of course not.

We worked together for awhile before I said anything to him. One day I stopped him in the hall and told him about the paper I wrote in his class in seventh grade, and how he left the note in red ink. I told him how he inspired me, and that I was indeed a writer now. I know how he felt. I do. Teachers want to leave a lasting impression on their students. I know this to be true from experience. Yes, Mr. Somers was my first inspiration/mentor to help me realize I was a writer, even at age thirteen. If you ever come across the person who inspired you, please do let them know.

Before I retired, when I’d see a student who wanted to be a writer, I’d smile and tell them I was a published author, and how I used to write when I was a kid. I’d tell them to follow their dream and never give up. I know there are some of my former students who have moved on to high school and are pursuing their dream of being a writer. Maybe one day when I’m older and grayer, one of them will walk up to me and tell me their story. I look forward to that day.

NOTE: It wasn’t long ago that a former student looked me up on Facebook. I met her when she was in the eighth grade. When she found out I had a couple books published, she had a million questions. Stars danced in her eyes, which reminded me of my own dancing stars at her age. She had already been writing for a long time, and I’ve read some of her stories. She’s talented. 🙂 Now, she’s in college, or out by now, and recently told me about a blog she writes and still has the dream of becoming a published author. I’m really proud of her. Cheers to you, Maddie.

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This blog post was inspired from the Remember Red section of the Red Dress Club Blog Site. Please visit and find a prompt that inspires you. UPDATE: This website is called “WRITE ON EDGE” now.