This I Believe

I believe that everyone we meet has been put in our path for a purpose. They may be a part of our lives for minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, or even years. No matter the length, from our encounter we either take what we need from them, or they take what they need from us. Deciphering which can be difficult. This shapes us into who we are and who we are destined to become.

I grew up in a small town in Northern Wisconsin, where everyone knew each other, and this is where I had my first take away. It was my sophomore year in high school. My best friend Sara had a junior brother, Scott, and he was sick with leukemia. It was difficult to see my best friend and her family spend a year struggling as Scott was fighting for his life in a hospital in Madison, his mother continually by his side. Scott fought his cancer for about a year, and passed away in May of his junior year. I got a ride with my senior brother to the visitation. We parked at the funeral home and I remember being so scared to go in. As we walked through the parking lot, I grabbed my older brother’s hand, and with tears streaming down my face, I choked out, “I love you Bill. I can’t imagine losing you.” We embraced in the funeral home parking lot, feeling so sad for the loss of our friend Scott and blessed at the same time as we still had each other. Scott taught me to appreciate all that I have, including time.

Teaching for the past 20 years has provided me with many different givings and take aways with both students and colleagues. About five years ago I had a student whose brother was sick and spending many days in the hospital. My student did not have family close by and she would spend many hours alone at home. I offered to have her stay with my family whenever this situation came up. Sometimes my student would stay for a couple nights, sometimes it was a couple weeks. My goal was to provide her with the support she needed while her family took care of her brother. She was always grateful and I knew she appreciated what we were able to provide for her. I didn’t understand the level of her take away until this past year when she wrote me a card for my birthday. She told me how much it meant to her that we were there for her during this difficult time in her family’s life. She also took the time recently to write a letter and nominate me for a local award that goes to teachers that go the extra mile. Though I did not receive the local award, her nomination was all the award I needed.

Not everyone we meet will have such a profound influence on us, or us on them, but living with the intentions of keeping ourselves open to these take aways and givings will continue us on that path of purpose.