Someone dear to me died a few days ago. He was fairly old, but his passing was sudden. no one expected it, and no one was ready—his family least of all, I’m sure. The loss cut my heart deeply, especially since I had not seen him in a while. I had intended to arrange to meet up the next time I was in Virginia… but now that opportunity has been lost.

But you know what is remarkable? Reading online about all the lives he changed while he was here. The man was a teacher at my middle / high school, and later became the assistant principal before retiring a few years ago. He touched so many lives. Truly.

Alumni from my high school have been sharing so many beautiful memories. He influenced everyone he met…not just as a teacher or member of the school administration, but as a mentor in personal matters as well as academic… and as a friend to so many.

He’s gone now, but I wish he could come back for a moment to see how many lives he changed and how many young people have grown into better adults because of him.

We all need to strive to leave that sort of beautiful mark upon the world. We need to act as guides to help those along the way who will be running the world when we’re gone.

This one’s for you, Robert Soper. Every encounter I had with you was inspirational—you were so full of wisdom and love, and easily one of the sweetest people I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing. Tell Mrs. Dell hi for me… I’ll see you both again some day. 

Last night I reread a childhood favourite of mine: A Wrinkle in Time. In fact, I was so fond of it in elementary and middle school that I remember dedicating pretty much an entire summer to reading Madeleine L'Engle's other works. I remember particularly enjoying The Moon by Night, House Like A Lotus, and A Ring of Endless Light.

The trouble with books you read and enjoyed years ago is that the details tend to gradually fade. That's no different from day-to-day life, of course. But rereading a beloved story from childhood is much the same as flipping through old photographs: all the memories come flooding back. With books, you also get the added benefit of noting little things you might have missed (or not deemed important) when you were younger. 

Everyone dreams…

whether you remember the dreams or not, your mind probably creates hundreds of bizarre scenarios overnight. They could be comprised of any number of components, such as school or work or even places that you don’t think you’ve ever seen before.

For many people, at some point in their lives they experience what is called a “recurring dream”—one that you have night after night. It doesn’t have to be lots of nights in a row, either, you could have them a few times each month and it would still count. It’s commonly agreed that such dreams have an important message, and that they won’t cease until you figure it out.