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by Elizabeth Ferrell-Gray

Administrative Assistant

You know you've lived a good, long while when the branches of your life circle back to tap you on the shoulder. And you know you've lived a good life filled with good people when the branches that are tip, tap, tapping your shoulders are full of love and fond memories. So it is with me.

Growing up in Vancouver, Washington was a wonderful experience for me and my children as well.  We had family, friends, fun, and most of all – love. These blessings gave us the strength we needed as a single-parent family in a very two-parent family world. One especially important brick in our strong foundation was our child care center – East Vancouver Child Care Center – operating out of the East Vancouver United Methodist Church. First my daughter then my son attended the center and spent many of their formative years there. They loved their teachers Miss Jamie and Miss Kathy and all the others. So many others! The always smiling Mr. Todd, the cooks, the parents, and the other children!

Now, these thirty years later I am an administrative assistant for Washington Educators in Early Learning, an organization dedicated to bringing change to the working lives of those same dedicated professionals in early learning. It is so wonderful to be able to give back to the profession that enabled my children to feel safe, loved, challenged, happy, and engaged while their mother worked to provide for them. The center is now Learning Avenues Child Care Center, and it has many satellite centers in nearby elementary schools. Jamie McCoy is now director along with Jerry Todd. How delightful it was to see Jamie and Jerry at our Leadership Retreat and Lobby Day functions and to be able to thank them again for taking such good care of my children.

My daughter Misty has fond memories of those days. She laughs remembering Miss Jamie always having ice in her already cold milk. When I asked her about her child care center memories Misty recently said, "I loved all the games we used to play. I loved playing in the playground and performing at our holiday festivals. I even remember the rabbits that Jamie had at her home."

My son William also has great memories of the center. He too laughs remembering all the holiday festivals, the plays, and the parent nights. He especially liked it when his grandma or aunts would come to the center on those special nights and join the fun. We spent many happy evenings there, and William's new step-dad soon joined us at the center on spaghetti nights or to watch the kids perform. 

Equally important to the love and fun provided by Learning Avenues was the teaching and the structure.  I worked in Portland then and was always rushing, rushing not to be late to work or late returning to the center. Entering the building was so calming. There was a time and place for everything and everything was in its time and place. Each classroom was filled learning materials, crafts, games, art work, and projects. My children knew what to do there each morning when they arrived and each afternoon when they left. What could have been very chaotic times for us as a single-parent family had a predictable rhythm generated by a well-run early learning center. 

Thirty years have passed and the branches nurtured years ago circle back and tap me on the shoulder once more as if to say, "Remember us?" I smile at all those wonderful memories and whisper, "Yes, I do." There is no movement more important or more deserving of recognition and success than that of early learning professionals, and I am blessed to be part of that community. Thank you all for taking care of and educating our precious children.

Left: William at LACCC 6/80 as "The Peddler;" Far right: Misty at LACCC 12/80 in "Frosty the Snowman."