# 46

"If you want happiness for a lifetime help the next generation." Chinese proverb

"Life's most persistent and urgent question is: What are you doing for others?"
Martin Luther King Jr.

A Salute to a Fellow Teacher

I didn't know her name. She was the teacher at the end of the fourth grade hall, Mrs. Rease. She was a tough old fashioned teacher. A throw back to the time when you answered questions with a yes ma'am or no sir. She taught the three R's--reading, 'riting, and 'rithmatic. But she had a fourth R-respect. Respect for each other, respect for authority, respect for God and country.

She began her teaching career at the black elementary school. But she never saw color--she saw children. And she taught them--and they learned. She taught them things that are now considered passé.

Everyday for 38 years her day began with her class standing and reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. That was followed by her daily prayer (until the Supreme Court said that was a no-no) or moment of silence. And, when they were able to say a prayer, they ended the prayer with, "God bless the whole world", so they would leave no one out.

The school year recently ended for us. When a fellow teacher retired, she was asked if she planned to retire anytime soon. She replied, "I don't want to retire. There are still children to be taught. Besides when you retire you die. She had planned on coming back for her 39th year. We said our good-byes on May 29th, the last day of school for teachers. She died suddenly the next morning.

Her name was Gracie. Gracie is a form of Grace, meaning "God's favor"

"Give generously, for your gifts will return to you later."
Ecclesiastes 11:1

The NBA season is winding down with the championship series between the Lakers and NJ Nets. NBA players, like most professional athletes, make the news when they do something wrong--rarely when they do something right. Recently a story involving an NBA player, Greg Ostertag, caught my eye.

He was 6'1 as a seventh grader. By the time Ostertag reached high school, he was huge. His play helped lead Duncanville High School to the State Championship. His next stop was the University of Kansas where he had an outstanding collegiate career. Ostertag was selected in the first round of the NBA Draft by the Utah Jazz--where he has played his entire career.

In the back of his mind has always been the health of his sister who suffers from diabetes. His sister, Amy Hall, has had Type I diabetes since she was 7. In 1999 her kidney problems began, leading to kidney failure in March. She would need a kidney transplant. Donors are hard to come by, and finding a perfect match is a long and arduous process. Ostertag decided to be tested to see if he could provide the kidney his sister needed to live. Tests confirmed the two were a perfect match.

"I am nervous," said Ostertag. "There is always the chance that I won't come out if it or that something could happen later--an infection or something. But the chances are slim. I don't think about it that much."

"He has never thought twice about it, never looked back, never said, I shouldn't be doing this because it could mess up my career" said Amy Hall. Hall added that her brothers attitude was "Basketball's not as important to me as my sister."

Ostertag didn't hesitate. Putting his career on hold and in jeopardy, Ostertag is giving the ultimate gift, the gift of life.

"Life is a blend of laughter and tears, a combination of rain and sunshine." Norman Vincent Peale

"A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives." Jackie Robinson

Contact Tom at: tomhughes@motivationNmore.com

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