Happy Birthday Franki!!!! #IFNOTFORFRANKI

What an honor is to celebrate a dear friend Birthday today. Happy Birthday Franki! You are a blessings in so many ways and you have touched our lives in countless and quiet ways. Please take it all in today because we are showering you with love today. Love that you planted in our lives and today we get to say thank you and hopefully we will all be able to pay it forward someday.

If not for Franki...

I would simply have not met so many of my dear Dublin friends. It all started when my blog was born in 2008 when this blog was born. I was so excited when I received a comment in my blog that said, "Are you in Columbus, OH? No way! We should meet." Does this sound like Franki making her magic right there or what? The thing is I didn't know then how this comment will create a chain of wonderful effects that would lead me to some amazing experiences. First, Franki and other Dublin friends where all cyber friends....blogger friends...until we all decide to meet months later at Cover to Cover. I put faces to names, voices to friends and ever since then we all stay connected. All because of Franki.


If not for Franki,
I would have not met the fabulous Brenda Power. The thing is Franki sees things way before other people do. Franki believed in me from the beginning and through her encouragement and questions, she pushes my thinking above and beyond. I get emotional as I type these words because I'm so blessed to have people in my life like Franki who believes unconditionally. I can't help but think of my students and wish that each one of them have someone in their lives that BELIEVES in them.

If not for Franki,
I would have missed some amazing professional development. I would have not gone to NCTE or All Write. She is the master at PD and networking. She may not even realize it that she is doing it. But Franki my dear....you are. And because of you, our network of people stretches from north to south, east to west.

If not for Franki,
I would have not made the amazing friends at The Literacy Connection. It all started as an invitation from Franki and the rest of the group to talk to them about the needs in PD when teaching ELLs. Ever since that Saturday morning conversation at a French Bakery, we have all been connected since then.

If not for Franki,
I would not understand the power of always, always being a learner. I always considered myself a learner, but meeting Franki and being a witness to her constant search for understanding and learning is just beyond inspiring.

Franki, today it's YOUR birthday and we are all here to say THANK YOU! Your birthday is a celebration in all of our lives, especially in mine. You make me feel like I have a family when mine is a thousand miles away. Thanks for being part of my life here in the States. Thanks for being YOU.