Favorite Teacher
Each of us had a favorite teacher while growing up. I was blessed with more than my fair share of great teachers. I’ve found that the ones that are still in my thoughts today are the ones that believed in me as a kid. Ms. Burden, Mr. Allgood, Ms. Fagg--we thought nothing of that name when I was nine--Coach Gray and Coach Cagle all stand out in my mind. But Mrs. Moore, my second grade teacher, stands above all the others. She had a heart of gold yet none of her students ever took advantage of that. She was kind yet firm, encouraged each and every kid to be the best they could be and truly extended unconditional love to all of us. Who could ask for more?
Frequently Mrs. Moore would ask me to promise that I would be a teacher when I grew up, and I always gave her an enthusiastic “yes.” I followed through on that promise by earning a degree in education and becoming that teacher. It was a short-lived career, just three years of teaching and coaching, but the things I learned have been and will continue to be part of me throughout my life. More importantly, I will always cherish the example that Mrs. Moore set by just “being.”
“The difference between good teachers and great teachers: Good teachers make the best of a pupil’s means; great teachers foresee a pupil’s ends.”—Maria Callas (1923-1977)
The 2nd grade photo, which included Mrs. Moore, is the only class picture I’ve kept to this day.
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Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Thursday, April 17, 2008
What will be will be
What will be will be
Some of my fondest memories are of my grandmother. She had a beautiful vegetable garden that kept her going spring and summer in her later years. I have a vivid picture of her in the garden, hoe in hand and wearing Nike cleats, at the age of 82. She had fallen in the garden a few weeks earlier, and I thought the cleats might help her with stability as she worked throughout the day doing what she loved most.
Whenever I would share my troubles or worries of the day with her she would often say “What will be, will be.” I often thought she was losing it because she remained so calm throughout some very trying challenges in her life, but as I reflect back on what she said, I now have a much clearer understanding of those words. She was simply telling me that what others do with their lives was not my decision. It was more important that I focus on my own reactions to these life situations and reframe the attitude I had toward difficulties.
“It's difficult to think anything but pleasant thoughts while eating a homegrown tomato.”- Lewis Grizzard (1946-1994)
My grandmother must have been eating her own homegrown tomatoes 24/7.
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Some of my fondest memories are of my grandmother. She had a beautiful vegetable garden that kept her going spring and summer in her later years. I have a vivid picture of her in the garden, hoe in hand and wearing Nike cleats, at the age of 82. She had fallen in the garden a few weeks earlier, and I thought the cleats might help her with stability as she worked throughout the day doing what she loved most.
Whenever I would share my troubles or worries of the day with her she would often say “What will be, will be.” I often thought she was losing it because she remained so calm throughout some very trying challenges in her life, but as I reflect back on what she said, I now have a much clearer understanding of those words. She was simply telling me that what others do with their lives was not my decision. It was more important that I focus on my own reactions to these life situations and reframe the attitude I had toward difficulties.
“It's difficult to think anything but pleasant thoughts while eating a homegrown tomato.”- Lewis Grizzard (1946-1994)
My grandmother must have been eating her own homegrown tomatoes 24/7.
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Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Human Exhibit
Human Exhibit
Last fall Ruth and I visited “Bodies” the Exhibition in Las Vegas. I’ve always been in awe at the human body, having had many related classes in high school and college that gave me a better understanding of how complex and sophisticated, sensitive yet durable the body is.
The size and content of the exhibit itself was breathtaking and opened my eyes even more to the intricacies of our “mortal shell.” If you clasp your hands, the resultant shape is about the size of your brain. Studying the brain exhibit intently for a while got me thinking of how that modest-sized organ, to a large extent, controls who and what we are each day. Everything going in and out of our brain shapes our concept of who we think we are.
Then I moved over to the heart and was wowed again by the thought of how much work it does every minute of every day. It’s the key to keeping us alive and active, but in it I saw much more than just a powerful pump that sends oxygen and nutrition to every cranny in our body. It contains the fullness of our life, both physically and metaphorically. It is our essences. Imagine what our world would be like if each path we took began and ended with the heart.
“I don’t go by the rule book. I lead from the heart, not the head.” – Princess Diana (1961-1997)
Click "Comments" below to share your thoughts or opinion.
Last fall Ruth and I visited “Bodies” the Exhibition in Las Vegas. I’ve always been in awe at the human body, having had many related classes in high school and college that gave me a better understanding of how complex and sophisticated, sensitive yet durable the body is.
The size and content of the exhibit itself was breathtaking and opened my eyes even more to the intricacies of our “mortal shell.” If you clasp your hands, the resultant shape is about the size of your brain. Studying the brain exhibit intently for a while got me thinking of how that modest-sized organ, to a large extent, controls who and what we are each day. Everything going in and out of our brain shapes our concept of who we think we are.
Then I moved over to the heart and was wowed again by the thought of how much work it does every minute of every day. It’s the key to keeping us alive and active, but in it I saw much more than just a powerful pump that sends oxygen and nutrition to every cranny in our body. It contains the fullness of our life, both physically and metaphorically. It is our essences. Imagine what our world would be like if each path we took began and ended with the heart.
“I don’t go by the rule book. I lead from the heart, not the head.” – Princess Diana (1961-1997)
Click "Comments" below to share your thoughts or opinion.
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Life Vision
Life Vision
At 47 years of age I wasn’t questioning my life’s vision. I was in good health, had a great job and a wonderful circle of family and friends. But there is something about the word “cancer” being added to your personal vocabulary that makes you question that vision. Was there maybe an empty space within me that went unnoticed in a life that might’ve had a tad more superficiality than was normal for me? The cancer was my awakening experience. It was the most precious vision exam I’ve ever had and brought me back to 20/20 from 20/30 or beyond. What I found was that my heart was void of nothing. I had simply been distracted, thereby allowing my life vision to get blurry.
I would imagine at some point in a day, week or year we all feel as though something is “missing” in our lives. In reality, chances are that nothing is missing—you have simply begun losing track of all that is within you. It shouldn’t take a major event, such as an illness or accident, to correct your life’s vision. Every day brings with it an opportunity to observe and evaluate what is in your heart. That’s the key to bringing your life into sharp focus.
“Vision is the art of seeing what is invisible to others.”—Jonathan Swift (1667-1745)
“People only see what they are prepared to see.”—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)
Please click "Comments" below to share your thoughts or opinion.
At 47 years of age I wasn’t questioning my life’s vision. I was in good health, had a great job and a wonderful circle of family and friends. But there is something about the word “cancer” being added to your personal vocabulary that makes you question that vision. Was there maybe an empty space within me that went unnoticed in a life that might’ve had a tad more superficiality than was normal for me? The cancer was my awakening experience. It was the most precious vision exam I’ve ever had and brought me back to 20/20 from 20/30 or beyond. What I found was that my heart was void of nothing. I had simply been distracted, thereby allowing my life vision to get blurry.
I would imagine at some point in a day, week or year we all feel as though something is “missing” in our lives. In reality, chances are that nothing is missing—you have simply begun losing track of all that is within you. It shouldn’t take a major event, such as an illness or accident, to correct your life’s vision. Every day brings with it an opportunity to observe and evaluate what is in your heart. That’s the key to bringing your life into sharp focus.
“Vision is the art of seeing what is invisible to others.”—Jonathan Swift (1667-1745)
“People only see what they are prepared to see.”—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)
Please click "Comments" below to share your thoughts or opinion.
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