LANSDOWNE – ALDAN HIGH SCHOOL
GOLDEN FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY REUNION 2006

Class of 1956
"Lords & Ladies"

www.lansdownealdan.com
Lansdowne, PA

 Bette Wilson McClelland

Out of high school and into office jobs

Where I ended up playing baseball?

How did I end up married and pregnant?

How did Ted and I end up in Texas? 

Ted was in the Army and I was with him.

A spring surprise named Janet Lea

came along and warmed our lives.

Absence makes the heart grow fonder

and along comes Joanna Ruth (Robin).

The children teach me about creativity

as I care for them instead of work.

Valentine’s Day one year results in

Jennifer (who’s a Scorpio) in November.

Years of vacations are spent at a folk festival

where we all learn songs, become closer, and

store up memories forever. Church gives us

the same kinds of musical memories that still remain.

Back to work as the kids go to school,

      where I slowly work my way into a job

for the Lutheran Church sitting and reading

and writing all day with my feet up on the desk.

Then back to school consists of 2 years at Antioch

including a dissertation on The Great Mother

and a Master’s Degree from Chestnut Hill College

in Counseling Psychology, a stepping stone to my

present job.

For 11 years I have worked at an inner city

mental health center where we deal with patients

who have seemingly insurmountable problems

which they nevertheless work hard to overcome.

I spend my spare time writing poetry, sometimes about

the things they deal with so well and sometimes beauty

that gets my mind off the difficulties they deal with.

Once in a while I puzzle over hendecasyllabics (a poetic form).

I almost forgot that I have three fine grandchildren:

A granddaughter, Mahalia, who’s 11, and 2 grandsons

who are both 8 and born on exactly the same day—

Kweisi is Robin’s and Sawyer is Jennifer’s.