Marcus Aurelius was the former Emperor of Rome centuries ago (no! I did not know him personally :-). He wrote the famous piece, Meditations. In this book he spoke about three aspects that are significant and we need to embody:
– Find moments of serenity to appreciate all around you and what they mean and find meaning
– The search for a lived truth is where we look at the people around us and realize what they possess and pull the positive forward towards us
– The imagined best life will pull the moments of serenity and the lived truth years forward and take them on a journey with you through the years
I share this with you because today I had an email that hit all three and it was a great feeling.
Mrs. Ward was my grade 12 high school teacher in General Business. I always enjoyed her class because she was always smiling and went beyond teaching to provide us wisdom. She really cared about her students. Upon graduation in 1980 – years of headbands and leg warmers but not me (yes, 1980…remember, I am turning 50 so don’t be surprised!) Mrs. Ward provided us each a letter. In the letter, it spoke about the challenges and problems in the world and how we are inheriting a world that is broken. Amazing how this carries true even today and that letter could be written today! But in her letter, she also talked about us as the force of change. We needed to be the change. That letter is still with me and it is nice to reflect upon. It was full of hope and possibilities and I always held true to this.
I have seen Mrs. Ward throughout the years and I wrote her a letter (yes, wrote her a letter not email) to say that by being a teacher, she ignited a flame that would not and will not extinguish and while many have gone on and probably not shared with her what she means, it was my opportunity to tell her. Well, you can imagine the affect it had. We have always kept in touch.
Mrs. Ward wanted to get back into teaching and I was able to put her in touch with the Fraser International College and right now she is enjoying a revitalized teaching career. Well, this is my chance to say that we always need to remember those people in our life who make a profound impact in our lives and career. I have been grateful for her choosing a career in teaching. When Marcus Aurelius talked about the three aspects, they are all embodied in this note because through reflection, I was able to pull her positive energy and pull it forward to the future. If you appreciate my student engagement and giving back to youth to make a difference, one of the places where I can find my inspiration is Mrs. Ward. So the many who thank me, well you are also thanking Mrs. Ward. Keep smiling Mrs. Ward and continue to change lives…the world will only be better as you wrote about for us in 1980.