I had a great impact on my life and this lady was not "really" my teacher in the true sense of the word. Her name was Mrs. Hughes and she was my 7th grade homeroom teacher. She and Mr. Hughes (a college professor) never had any children. Their children were those who entered their classroom doors.

Mrs. Hughes wore sunglasses when she worked the overhead projector, wore her graying hair in a classic bun, and was very nice to me...always. She and Mr. Hughes were frequent vistors at my parent's Italian restaurant, "Tony's" in Winter Haven, Florida. Over meals they would visit with my mother and my siblings and I as time permitted. They were always excited to see me and interested in my schooling in highschool and college. When I married, I received a card from the Hughes and as a newlywed, sent a thank-you note and subsequent once-a-year, Christmas greetings. In fact over the years we never missed sending each other cards. The Hughes' learned of the births of each of my five children and would send birthday wishes on the appropriate days with cards containing one or two dollars.  My children never met the Hughes as we lived miles apart. It was through the mail that I learned of the death of Mrs. Hughes many years ago, and the education fund Mr. Hughes set up for students in her name.

He wrote a long letter detailing thier wish to help other students at her alma mater. I wrote Mr. Hughes back thanking him for sharing his private thoughts, and he sent me another letter back. This was before the days of email and the internet, or I am sure Mr. Hughes would have been on board.

It was with sadness that several years ago, Mr. Hughes informed me that he would no longer be sending a Christmas card as he was entering a nursing home. I prayed for him and the changes that adavanced age was having on his life. This past Christmas I received a card and I could swear it was his (Mr. Hughes) writing on the front of the envelope, yet the return address was someone else's. It was a typed letter informing me that Mr. Hughes had died.

We were one of the families he had asked his friends to notify at the time of his death. The letter bluntly stated that he would have no funeral as he had no family and no children to survive him. Yet, he wanted us to know of his passing! He died on Christmas eve, 2009. What a wonderful and blessed time for him to retun to his heavenly Father and family in heaven!

What wonderful memories I am reminded of when I think of these two dear elderly people. They may not have had true children in the sense of the word, but they had a world of children whose lives they impacted through their generosity and kindness. As parents we can impact our child's lives in such a positive (or negative) way. We are to be reminded that life has many choices and we should strive to pray daily for the strength and guidance that only the Lord can bring.

I urge you to instill in your children a love of learning exploring and digging deeper into the facts. Lately, my children have been full of life, laughter and mischief and I have been rather harsh at times trying to get them back-to-the-books... I need to remind myself that true learning comes from experiences and interest in the topic at hand. Not all of learning can be fun, but with the right encouragement and direction, my children and yours, can be the light to others!