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Tuesday, October 21, 2014



An inspirational teaching story:
How much do we notice as we go through a day? 


Lisa Beamer on Good Morning America - 
    If you remember, she's the wife of Todd Beamer who said 
'Let's Roll!' and helped take down the plane over Pennsylvania
that was heading for Washington, DC back on 9/11- 
she said it's the little things that she misses most about Todd, 
such as hearing the garage door open as he came home, 
and her children running to meet him. 
 
 Lisa recalled this story: 
    "I had a very special teacher in high school many years 
    ago whose husband died suddenly of a heart attack. 
    About a week after his death, she shared some of her 
    insight with a classroom of students. As the late 
    afternoon sunlight came streaming in through the classroom windows 
    andthe class was nearly over, she moved a few things aside 
    on the edge of her desk and sat down there. 
 
    With a gentle look of reflection on her face, she paused 
    and said, 'Class is over, I would like to share with all of 
    you, a thought that is unrelated to class, but which I feel Is very 
    important. Each of us is put here on earth to learn, share, love, 
    appreciate and give of ourselves. None of us knows when this fantastic 
    experience will end. It can be taken away at any moment. 
 
    Perhaps this is God's way of telling us that we 
    must make the most out of every single day. Her eyes, 
    beginning to water, she went on, 'So I would like you all 
    to make me a promise. From now on, on your way to school, 
    or on your way home, find something beautiful to notice. 
 
    It doesn't have to be something you see, it could be a 
    scent, perhaps of freshly baked bread wafting out of 
    someone's house, or it could be the sound of the 
    breeze slightly rustling the leaves in the trees, or the 
    way the morning light catches one autumn leaf as it 
    falls gently to the ground. Please look for these things, 
    and cherish them. For, although it may sound trite to some, 
    these things are the "stuff" of life. 
    The little things we are put here on earth to enjoy. 
    The things we often take for granted. 
 
    The class was completely quiet. We all picked up our 
    books and filed out of the room silently. That afternoon, 
    I noticed more things on my way home from school 
    than I had that whole semester. Every once in a while, 
    I think of that teacher and remember what an impression 
    she made on all of us, and I try to appreciate all of those 
    things that sometimes we all overlook. 
 
    Take notice of something special you see on your lunch 
    hour today. Go barefoot. Or walk on the beach at sunset. 
    Stop off on the way home tonight to get a double dip ice cream cone. 
    For as we get older, it is not the things we did that we often regret, 
    but the things we didn't do. 

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