The Power of Legacy

Last week a member of our school community was taken abruptly from those who loved him. His passing created a tidal wave of emotion that included not only mourning, but also joy and gratitude as family, friends, colleagues, and students recounted stories and discussed his impact on their lives.  I was reminded this week of the legacy each of us leaves behind when we travel from this life to the next.  For Paul, the legacy people spoke of were his genuine kindness, his commitment to his students --not only their learning but their development as people--and his fierce connectedness to those he loved.

Having only known Paul for two years, I did not have the privilege of knowing him as deeply as my school colleagues; however, as a building leader I witnessed his kind spirit and observed his commitment to our students and our school community daily. He epitomized one of our big rocks by “fostering a sense of community that enriched  the experience of middle school students by building relationships among the students, staff, families, and the community.”  As a member of our Wellness Committee he was determined to provide opportunities for our staff to get together outside of school to increase our connections.  Every staff member I spoke to talked about his openness, warm smile, and fierce commitment to friendship.   Paul also cultivated excellent relationships with his students.  One small example, among the hundreds, was during a classroom  visit where students were wrapping up a unit and preparing for an essay. When I asked a group of students how they felt about the upcoming claim paper, one student responded: "With a teacher like Mr. Duquette it will be okay.  We'll get there."   He created an environment where students wanted to thrive because they knew he believed they could. In his 28 years as a teacher in our district,  his legacy has touched thousands.  

Amidst the grieving process, we have an opportunity to consider the impact of a person on our own lives, and we have a choice to decide how we will pass that impact on to others.  As I think about Paul, I'm choosing to pass on kindness in action, to focus on the whole child, and to remember that investing in relationships is at the heart of what we do to and in the end, it is all that matters.  Thank you Paul for leaving a legacy that makes me strive to be better.

A Tribute to My GIANT

 

     Despite the fact that she is only five feet, she stands tall in my life.  As I reflect on my past, participate in the present, and look to the future, she hovers above me in mythic proportions reminding me of the wonderful blessing God showered down on me when he made her my Nana!
     
     As a child, I can recall returning home from weekend or week long visits and unpacking my clothes so that I could stuff my face in them because they smelled like her house.  I didn’t want that smell to go away because it reminded me of the love and acceptance I found in Nana’s house alone.  Going to Nana’s house was more special than raiding her candy drawer that offered up jellied and hard candies to my small, waiting hands. Visiting Nana’s was like embarking on a journey to normalcy, the way life should be.  At her house I had an opportunity to see a strong marriage, be in a home filled with values, and experience a place where it was all right to be me, even during my clumsiest moments.  
     
     The day I moved in with my Nana and my grandfather was the start of the best days of my life.   The more I think about the sacrifice they made, the more I praise God for her lack of selfishness.  Here they were in the early evening of their lives (alone at last) and they chose to raise a thirteen year-old.  I am grateful for love that would take in a teenage girl, my frenzied emotions and all, who felt unloved and unwanted and make her feel like she was where she was meant to be all along.    The sacrificial love she showed me, when she wasn’t required to, is so connected to the One she serves.
     
     My Nana showed me how to be a strong and independent woman while still submitting to those in authority. She taught me about faith, modesty, having common sense, saving, budgeting, and giving.  I married a wonderful man who respects and supports me for who I am because she accepted me for who I was and taught me how to respect myself and expect nothing less from anyone else.   During my life, my Nana has been like a mother to me, my taskmaster, my confidant, my cheerleader, my rock, my sounding board, my prayer warrior, and my constant northern star.  I love being around her now just as much as I did when I was a child.  She stands out among the many people in my life, and I count it a blessing that I am her granddaughter. 

 Much appreciation to  @LisaMeade23 and @donald_gately  for their tributes to the loving giants in their own lives.