Just a short note today, in the form of a recommendation. Don’t wait to reconnect with those people who made a difference in your life. I’m talking about that particular person who had an extraordinary impact early in your life. How many times have we thought about reconnecting with a teacher, coach, supervisor, aunt, uncle, cousin and let them know how much they mattered.
I’ve had one recent fail in this regard. As an only child, I was hungry for role models. My cousin John fit that bill. John passed away recently. I hadn’t spoken to him for years, for no other reason than life happened. I was determined not to let it happen again.
This past weekend I reconnected with my 6th-grade science and homeroom teacher. Doug was also my next-door neighbor, the eldest from a family of seven. Another brotherly role model.
I excelled at 6th-grade science, getting 100% on every exam and quiz. It was because Doug was one of those bold, exciting people who pushed the boundaries and pushed you.
Doug took us on adventurous field trips that pushed the patience of Sister Robert Anne, our principal. One trip to Eighteen Mile Creek to dig for fossils brought us back to the school covered in mud. He was nearly fired then. Only when the cumulative science scores on the annual standardized test came back, beating all the schools in the district, did the administration recognize his talent.
I didn’t know that story about him. He didn’t realize his impact on me. It was a glorious recognition.
Don’t wait. Make the connection now. Let them know how much they meant to you and mean to you.
Be well, dear reader.
