So here's the short of it, 
So two things converged ...

And here's the long.

In the building where my office is, there is the old city schools records office where people who graduated before the consolidation come if they want to get a high school transcript.

Today we had a celebration luncheon for the folks who are housed in our office and who are retiring at the end of June. As I left to go back upstairs to the office, a middle aged woman approached me and engaged me in conversation about what we had been doing. She asked if our party was over and then, if there was any food left.  She said that she was very embarrassed, but if we had any food left, she wondered if she could have a plate.  Well, I'm not in charge and told her I would check with Dottie who runs our building.  Dottie's response was - "tell her to come on in here and make a plate, we've all been fed and we bought it so folks could eat".

She was embarrassed to come into the room where there were a few lingering guests just visiting.  She shared with me that she was going to go back to school and had come by to get her high school transcript.  It did seem that she was very down on her luck, but had a really positive attitude.

I so appreciated Dottie - she is truly the queen of our building in so many ways and today she certainly demonstrated that she has the graciousness and generosity to go with that title.  

If you are the praying kind, say a prayer for the woman named Valerie.  She's heading for a new start in life and I have a feeling she's going to be heading upwards.  And say a little prayer of thanks for people like Dottie in our lives.