How to Start Living - Expressing Gratitude to a Purpose-Driven Menttor

Do you start living each day as if it is the best day of your life? Full of passion, purpose, and desire to be your best?

When I reflect on what I am truly grateful for and jot it down, I find that much of my list consists of people whose paths have crossed with mine - some quite long ago. Is it a wavelength or vibe, a vision, motivation or passion that we share that holds these people in our very beings as the years advance?

One person who has served as a mentor repeatedly throughout my life was one of my English teachers in junior and senior high school. Although I had not seen or communicated with her since graduation, frequently I've reflected on how grateful I am to have been in her classes. Why?

As I think back, her passion for helping others was written on everything she did. Before beginning her teaching career, she had been a missionary in Sierra Leone for several years - living in austere conditions, at least by American standards, but pouring her talents into making life better for the people of her village. Although we were aware she had lived in Africa, we learned very little about her time spent there. We learned English - how to communicate, write and speak.

I remember the students in her classes ACTIVELY participating. No one prodded or coaxed us to raise our hands. I was not alone in liking to interact with her. When her students gave reports, wrote papers, or answered questions - she always welcomed our efforts and immediately had something good to say about our contributions. But, she also helped us make improvements. She definitely stretched us to be the best we could be and totally valued us as her students. She took her responsibility to teach us to heart.

Yes, that's it - to HEART. She loved us and we KNEW it, we FELT it, we BREATHED it. Whenever we read literature, she guided us in discussions that seemed as if the very characters in the books were present with us - as well as the authors - many of whom were long gone from this earth. The twinkle in her eyes, a smile on her face, and the bounce in her step communicated more than her words alone.

Reflecting on the start of a new year, I felt a strong tug from within to reconnect with her during the holidays. I wanted to send her a note re-introducing myself, expressing my gratitude for her wonderful teachings, and letting her know I have valued her as a mentor over the years. I found her address with Google and jotted her a heart-felt note of gratitude just after Christmas.

Yesterday, about 10 days after my teacher had received my card, I answered a phone call from a stranger with a kind voice. She introduced herself and told me that my teacher had read and re-read my note. She had been totally elated to know how positively she had affected my life. She had showed the note to everyone she knew. The kind voice continued to say that although still spry in spirit, my teacher had been battling cancer for the last 5 years and had had to face yet another hospitalization. The stranger knew she was tired and having a tough time, so she had told her to read my note at least once every 30 minutes.

The purpose of the stranger’s call was to tell me my teacher had passed away Friday, one week after having received my note.........

Words escaped me. I felt so very grateful that we had connected all those years ago in her English classes, remained connected in spirit throughout our lives, AND that I had thanked her for helping me to Start Living with her example in mind.

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