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Copyright © Louis Schmier and Atwood Publishing.
Date: Mon 11/25/2002 8:15 AM
Random Thought: When Small Is Large
Well, I thought, after an exhilarating four days of learning at
the Lilly Conference on College Teaching, today was going to be a quick-in
for some administrative meetings and a quick-out tomorrow at the crack of
dawn to West Tennessee for Thanksgiving celebrations with my sister's
family. When I came to the office early this morning, real early, to get
ready for those meetings, I found a little folded note slipped under my
office door. It looked so innocuous. I was so wrong. It was little only
in size. It contained so much. As I quickly unfolded it, prepared to
scan it on the run, it slowed me down, stopped me dead in my tracks,
plunked me down, made me smile, tightened my chest, gave me goose bumps,
and brought a tear or two to my eyes. Someone said, that goose bumps and
teary eyes happen when your soul is close to you. Well, I felt it softly
breathing down the nape of my neck like loving wisps of my angelic Susan's
light breaths.
It simply read, "I stopped by to wish you a happy Thanksgiving and
to say thanks. During the past few weeks I thought I would not have
anything to give thanks for. I want you to know that your smile and just
quietly coming over and telling me softly and in a way no one would notice
to let you know if there was anyway you could help me helped me more than
you know. I know you don't know what happened. You just care so much you
saw that I may have been in need of help. I know you probably didn't even
think about what you did. It came so naturally and truthfully from your
heart. That's what made what you did even more important to me. It was
for me a moment of grace. I knew then I was not alone and dirty. It's
really helping me get through this. It doesn't take much to do much, does
it? Nice lesson. I will never, never forget it. Thanks for truly, truly
caring. You do love each of your students no matter what, don't you. I
thought I had only signed up for a history course. It's a heavy course in
life, too. Maybe, that's more important. I don't know how I would handle
this if it wasn't. Guess I was lucky, real lucky. Happy Thanksgiving.
Remember, I want to see you back here next week. So, 'don't eat and
drive.'"
I suppose somewhere out there is some profound eloquent verbal
postscript to what I'll call this "soul booster." After this reminder
that the power of simply being kind is so powerful, that who you are and
what you do can really matter even if others don't think so, I'm not sure
any moral coda is needed.
It's already a nice Thanksgiving. And, to all of you in the
States, let me and Susan wish you and yours a blessed Thanksgiving.
And, remember: don't "eat and drive."
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