Recently I was asked “What is so great about Edina?” As an unabashed fan of my city, I was more than happy to respond. “Where would you like me to begin?” It’s easy for me to sing the praises of Edina. I’ve lived here 27 years, which I realize makes me a relative newcomer. We moved to Edina because of the schools and their reputation for excellence. That decision turned out to be one of the best choices ever. Our daughter Kara thrived at Countryside Elementary, Valley View Middle School and Edina High School. Our son received special education services from the time he was 9 months old. That early intervention was so appreciated and I often wonder where David would be had we not had that.
Over the years, I have heard folks say, “Oh, Edina is full of ‘cake-eaters’” and “Every Day I Need Attention.” And this is always my response: Edina is the place where my special needs son made friends. Where teachers, speech therapists and occupational therapists spent hours working with David, allowing him to reach his potential. Edina is the place my creative and talented daughter discovered her love of art at Edina Art Center classes. I will never forget the night we watched the hockey tourney on TV with friends and saw Kara and the cheerleaders on the ice in their skates, hands on hearts, singing the National Anthem. There have been too many beautiful moments to possibly mention them all but they are all in my heart. And I will always happily tell anyone who will listen that the people in this city are some of the kindest, most genuine and authentic people I could have ever met.
I have lived in Edina as a stay-at-home mom, a cheer mom, a mom of a special education student, a divorced mom and now, an empty nest working mom. No matter what stage I have been at in my life, I just knew that I could not leave this city. When I purchased my townhome, I only had two criteria: It needs to have two bedrooms and two bathrooms and it needs to be in Edina. That’s it. I now have the supreme pleasure of introducing people to this city. When I say I have the best job ever, it’s true. And hey, it’s only four stop lights from home.
Graciously contributed by Pauline "Polly" Marell-Speranza, an unabashed fan of Edina and the assistant director at Avidor Edina.
