“However difficult life may seem, there is always something you can do and succeed at.” By Stephen Hawking
On-Line Educational Services
The time is getting shorter as we have two or three weeks left with the “on-line” education services project. I had the pleasure of watching Akaila work with her class yesterday and my amazement just continues. The students arrive on-line and you hear these small voices saying…”Hello Teacher”. Just music to my ears.
Several of the teachers are planning something special for the final weeks of the project. There has been a real bond established between students and teachers and I hope to share more of this over the final weeks.
“Thanks for this opportunity. I hope the students have learned from the experience and that they enjoyed our time together. I know I have learned and enjoyed each week” By Lisa B.
Remembering Lou!
It was October 30, 2019 when my long time friend passed away and it hardly seems like a full year has passed. But, it has and Lou has been missed by his wife Sandy, family and friends. My post following Lou’s memorial service was dedicated to him and our relationship. I want to share part of the post dated November 6, 2019 with my “Friends”:
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“Yesterday, during Lou’s going-home service, Larry Blankenship, a long-time friend, spoke about Coach Lou’s tremendous impact on his community, the countless number of kids he coached, and the many lives
Coach Lou touched. Over his 35 years coaching, several of Coach Lou’s players made it to the professional baseball league because of the early instruction and guidance Coach Lou provided. The size of this man inside and out earned him a status of a “giant” in his community. Larry did an outstanding job representing the community who knew and loved Lou the “Coach”.
I was also asked to speak and my message related to “friendship”. I had enjoyed a completely different connection to Lou than Larry and the community. Ours was much more personal and our distance apart demanded that we skip talking about careers and politics and many other matters. We had very little time or need to compare individual accomplishments. We had accumulated so many past memories and shared so many wild experiences, those areas were the places we would naturally default to.
I would spend 95% of the time just enjoying his company, his amazing humor, and his wonderful gift of joke telling which served to bring so much joy and laughter into the time we shared. And, even from a long distance, I knew what Larry spoke of regarding the “Coach”. I summed it up yesterday from my viewpoint in the following way:
- Lou lived a life of purpose. Although he spent 35 years as a high school baseball coach, he was far more than that. He was a light others would follow. He was an inspirational motivator, counselor, and had the ability to move players to be better today than yesterday….and better tomorrow than today. He led by example.
- Lou made a difference. He did not have the greatest tools, the greatest intellect, the best timing, and certainly Tazewell, Virginia may not have been the best location to build a successful career. But, Lou took each of these less than perfect conditions and did the miracles only those who have been ordained or called to do. It all resulted in the betterment of others. He made it all work and he made a difference.
- Lou lived life as a servant. In biblical terms, he served by putting others above self. Although referred to often as a “giant” of a person in his community and he was a big man, Lou never thought he was larger or bigger than those he served each day. The following is a local newscast regarding his service.
Lou being a very humble man and someone who preferred to have others stand in the bright light of fame and success, it was difficult yesterday to play down the impact he had on his community and how important he was as my friend and brother. I hope he will forgive me for writing this post in his honor.”
Final Word..!
“Blessed are they who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” Matt. 5:5.
Arthur, your friend, Lou, sounds like someone we would have all loved to meet and get to know. Reading the words, “He (Lou) believed everyone had value,” gives me hope. Any person who is lucky enough to have those words spoken about them is lucky enough! We need more people that we can say that about. You were lucky to have him as your friend, Scrapper! Thanks for sharing.