National Adult Literacy Database

September 12, 2005

My name is Lacey Bear. I live in Saskatoon. I am 21 years old and I have a three year old son. I enjoy playing with my son and my little brother. I also like to watch TV and play cards. Coming back to school has been one of the hardest things I have ever done. I am happy. It is not always easy being a single mom and a student but this is something I am proud of because it makes my family happy.

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Spring Rain

by Lacey Bear

Once there was a boy named Kimewun. He lived with his mom on the reserve. He was usually a very happy boy. One thing, however, that made Kimewun unhappy was school. Kimewun was shy. He was always picked on at school and because of this he was often sad when he had to be in school.

His mom felt sad for him but she knew her son had to be strong. She told him that someday they would wish they had been nice to him. She also told him to work hard and finish school. Kimewun loved it when his mom would say that. It made him feel special. It helped him ignore the teasing.

Mostly though Kimewun loved his reserve. It was a beautiful place. He liked to be outside. There were trees and flowers and things like that. Kimewun loved the animals and he loved nature.

Each day Kimewun enjoyed coming home from school. He looked forward to walking in the woods to get home. Kimewun really loved the walk when it rained. Good things always seemed to happen to him when it rained.

One day, in spring, Kimewun was walking home through the woods after school. He was feeling bad because the other boys had been teasing him again. It began to rain. The rain soon helped him forget his problems.

As he walked along he saw something shiny hanging in a tree. When he went closer he saw it was a small necklace. Kimewun climbed up and got the necklace down. He saw that it had a locket and he could see that the locket could open up.

Kimewun climbed down from the tree. He ran all the way home. When he got home he called his mother. "Mommy, Mommy look what I found!"

Kimewun's mom stopped what she was doing. She came and sat down with him.

"What a beautiful necklace." She said "Oh, look it can open."

When Kimewun opened the locket he and his mom saw the most beautiful place they had ever seen in all their lives. It was a breathtaking view. There was a small cabin big enough for two people. It was looking out at a lake. Near the cabin were two horses and a dog. Behind the cabin were some mountains and beautiful flowers.

Kimewun said, "Oh Mommy I wished that we could go and stay there forever."

Kimewun's mom said "It is a lovely place but what about our family? What about our friends?"

Kimewun said, "We could come back and visit them."

Kimewun's mom said, "It is beautiful but I want you close your eyes. Look inside and see if that is what you really want." His mother wanted her son to see how life would be away from his home.

Kimewun closed his eyes and he saw his family and friends. They were laughing. He began thinking of what he and his mom would miss if they were to leave. This made Kimewun sad.

Kimewun opened his eyes and looked at his mom and said, "This is home and home is where we belong." He closed the locket and put it in his mother's hand.