Up Close And Personal - Allison Richards

by Laura Drew Kelly
A birthright and a convinced Quaker, Allison Richards lives in a warm, welcoming house that is reached by a long driveway flanked on one side by a split rail fence behind which graze several horses. As we climbed the stairs to the office in progress, which Allison plans to make a workplace for her Quaker duties and her crafts, I was intrigued by the family tree of photos in the upstairs hallway. These provide a rich sense of Richards' history and a wonderful background to learning more about Allison.

There is a point, for Allison it was during her college years, "when you decide whether or not to, embrace your religion." That is when Allison, who grew up attending Plymouth Meeting in Pennsylvania, became a convinced Friend. Other aspects of her education were more easily decided. She had dreamed of becoming a teacher since she was in second grade.

Allison was graduated from Dickinson College and later earned a Master of Instruction degree from the University of Delaware. She taught for 24 years before and after raising Edythe and Elizabeth. Four of these years were as an elementary school librarian, the rest as a Latin teacher.

After accepting a position as a teacher of Latin at Caesar Rodney High School, Allison began attending Camden Friends Meeting where John Hunn Brown introduced her to Michael Richards. Allison and Michael were eventually married at Plymouth Friends Meeting; thus began the composition of many of the photos on the family tree. The extensive travels of Allison and Mike began in 1968 when they joined an NEA group trip to Europe. For two months they drove the VoIkswagon they rented at the factory in WoIfsburg, Germany, through Germany, Austria, Yugoslavia, Greece, Italy, Switzerland, France, and England.

A second trip to' Europe was part of Allison's sabbatical leave from teaching. The Richards visited many Roman sites where Mike got '"Romaned out." Visits with several, friends who live abroad enriched this experience. They were in France again in September, 2001 when people went out of their way to show support and sympathy for Americans after the attacks.

The Richards have continued their travels to other countries notably Canada, and Korea where Edythe was teaching English to Korean adults. Allison, Mike' and Elizabeth joined Edythe for one Christmas there and Allison returned -one summer (never again). All three returned for Edythe's Korean wedding.

There have been a number awards, and honors garnered during Allison's college and teaching career including Eta SiQma Phi, a college classics honorary of which she was president in her senior year, MBNA Most Innovative Grant Award and inclusion in the Cambridge Who's Who. But the one Allison is proudest of is her listing in Who's Who Among Teachers because the nominations are made by former students who credit their nominees as an important influence in their lives.

Allison, whose interests include crocheting, crafting, herbs, energy work and alternative paths to good health, has created healing essences from her plants. She also has an enthusiasm for reike, a Japanese healing method which involves the transfer of energy from hands to an ailing body. Before I left we shared a pot of tea. Allison read my tea leaves, a practice she learned from her mother whose photo I had seen on the family tree. She can be persuaded to read tea leaves but only for fun.

It was difficult to leave Allison, Mike and my salutary tea leaves. I consoled myself with a long, lovely look at the grazing horses and the hope that some of the things gleaned from those leaves will come true.