My friend Lyrinda sent me the photo at the end of this post on my birthday.  It was from the school yearbook where we taught.

I look back on my years of teaching with a smile.  Although my official job was working with blind and low vision children, my secret agenda was to talk to any kid or teen who was willing.  My favourite word in teaching is “conversation”.

With only a couple of exceptions, I can’t remember anything I said to a student. Makes me giggle … just another glowing example of how much I forget stuff these days.

What I do remember is my heart. The physical version is pretty much the same as thirty years ago – a little added wear-and-tear I suppose. The spiritual version was pretty wide open during my teaching years. And it’s even more so now. I see the beauty in others very easily.

Did I make a difference as a teacher?

What a silly question, Bruce! The answer is overwhelmingly yes.

Some of those no longer young people will remember you fondly, even if they don’t remember your name. Some will know that your teaching subject was “life” … and the lessons remain