Bright’s Northfield Restaurant Blog

January 11 is National Mentor Day, as I was reminded by Griff Wigley of Locally Grown Northfield. Growing up I rarely saw my parents for more than a few moments at a time, they were so busy working. However, I did have two neighbors who were very civic minded, and childless. They owned a small department store, complete with a US Post Office, lovable Cocker Spaniel and large garden. We lived above the store and shared in the garden and a lovable dog, at least I did during the time that I was 5 through 11 years old.

Stephanie and Gustav Breslauer taught me so many things that I still keep with me today. Gus had a fantastic sense of humor and would often make jokes and puns. I would always laugh with him. He taught me how to load a coal furnace! But more than that, Gus was big on charities and charitable organizations like the Kiwanis Club. We would go out and sell peanuts on the corner of the streets in Chicago. We’d find a busy street corner and stay out all day. We sold red fabric poppies on Memorial Day and if there was a disease that needed research funding, we went door to door and collected for it.

I treasure those memories, as people were so kind and giving and really helped to make us feel good about what we were doing. The Kiwanis Club had a special dinner and show every year to thank the volunteers who sold peanuts and did so many other things for handicap children. Each year they had a really good magician who would involve kids from the audience. I’ll never forget the year they invited me up to help with a card trick. My first introduction to public speaking. Thank you, Gus. Your lessons served me well.

Stephanie, or Stevie as she was called, taught me many things about gardening. Every good weather Sunday she would be out there weeding, planting and fixing up. She gave me jobs like gathering seeds from the 4 o’clocks, watching for birds and smelling the flowers. She told me how seeds that she didn’t plant got into her garden. Then, I got to skate through the garden all day long. I still garden in my home and I don’t think I will ever quit enjoying nature and growing plants.

My dear mentor also taught me about knitting, crocheting, color coordination, collecting, and painting. Stevie used to crochet beautiful afghans and raffle them off at the church for the school funds. Everyone who knew coveted those afghans all year long. She would never sell them. She made them while the store was quiet and her other work was done.
The church would make ten thousand dollars or more and back then, that was a lot of dough. She let me help with turn the yarn skeins into balls. I also used to straighten out the considerable thread drawers making sure each color variation was in it’s proper place. Whenever I knew there was work for me, I couldn’t wait to get started. These activities honed my hand eye coordination and sense of accomplishment, unbeknownst to me at the time.

Stevie’s garden was surrounded by high walls of neighboring grocery store buildings on two sides and a multi car garage, one level on the third side and our department store/apartment building on the fourth…we were in Chicago…so Stevie decided she would rather look at her own creations rather than the brick walls, so she painting beach scenes. They were fun and flowing and the colors were bright and cheery and she taught me to think out of the box with all her beautiful art.

To this very day, I knit, crochet, paint, and think outside that box. I think Stevie is certainly one of the most beautiful beings I have ever known. Quiet as she was, she taught me the basics of so much of what I do today.
Thank you, Stevie, up in heaven, thank you.

There’s so much more to this story. Maybe I’ll get to that book someday.

But know that if you have any life skills at all, and a real caring for people, I would highly recommend mentoring a child or anyone who could use life skills. Of course, do the background checks for your own safety.