Inspired
Events and people shape our lives. Thinking about this week, I was fortunate to be inspired by four men who lived with their heart and soul.
My Uncle Joe is one of the first men in my life who taught me some amazing things. He would always say he wasn’t my uncle because he was my Mom’s uncle. One day I told him he was my great uncle and he told me that there really wasn’t such a thing because every man would be every other man’s great uncle. I wanted him to have a title because he was important to me, but he wanted me to know him and wasn’t impressed with titles. Everyone called him Joe, but I called him Joey. Joey could do anything and fix anything. He never saw any obstacles in life because he knew he was able to make and create anything he wanted. Uncle Joe lived his life for himself and spoke only about things that made him happy.
In 1990, I met Professor Enildo Garcia. He taught Spanish and I learned more from him than he planned to teach me. I was apprehensive about his class because I didn’t think I spoke Spanish well. I had taken Spanish in high school for 3.5 years and didn’t do that well. Professor Garcia didn’t care that people spoke perfect Spanish, he cared that people tried the language. And he was tough and made us work. Professor Garcia taught me how to be a good teacher. He had high expectations and he knew that students would meet those expectations. In two semesters (eight months) I became someone who could actually speak and write Spanish well because of his encouragement. He believed in me even when I didn’t believe in myself because I felt defeated from prior experience. I think of Professor Garcia every September when I begin a new school year. He is who I strive to be.
In 1997, I met John Q. Adams, a school principal. He hired me to work in his school when I was still new at teaching. Whenever I had a new idea, Mr. Adams loved hearing about it and encouraged me. Adams built a school on hope and positive thoughts. He didn’t let negativity into his school and he believed in every person who stepped into that building. He let people say whatever negative words they needed to say, but he always followed them up with strong positive words. Pretty powerful right? Yup – he was pretty powerful. Now he wasn’t perfect – he got angry and frustrated at times too, but at the end of the day, he made things right for people and he remained true to his belief that one person could change the world.
In 1998, Leon’s Uncle loved me. That’s a pretty strange statement right? Let me explain….There are people in your life who have to love you because you are related to them. Then there’s people in your life who love you because of what you can do for them. And some people you just meet and you have a friendship like no other. Uncle John loved me from the day Leon introduced us. One of the most remarkable things about him was that he understood the meaning of life – Live and love God. Life is that simple when you do it right. The night before he passed, we went to visit him. He was very weak, but when I walked into the hospital room he opened his eyes wide and he said my name and smiled. My name was the last word he said and I will always be grateful for his friendship, love and even that moment.
When I walked into my classroom this year, the first word I saw was Uncle John’s last name which is so rare – it’s surreal…this sounds creepy right? Not really….it’s just a reminder of how easy it is to love. I found a picture of Mr. Adams when I opened my desk drawer. Came home to Joey’s favorite flowers blooming in my yard and sat down and drank a cup of coffee and thought of Dr. Garcia.
It’s going to be a great year.
Hugs,
marlene
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