Who is your mentor?

Today during a meeting at school, we had a short discussion:  Who was/is your mentor?

As academic coaches in the various elementary buildings in our school district, we frequently meet to plan curriculum and to study how to be better a what we do.  This question was one that we all mulled over before we began to speak in our small table groups.

I thought this through.  Who has been my mentor?  My parents certainly taught me the most, gave me the strong foundation for life that has kept me on the right track.  I have had teachers who inspired me, of course, but no one really stood out.  My husband has encouraged me to reach for those "impossible" dreams.  But who has done the most to temper me into the person I am?

I finally was able to put it into words.  Lacy has mentored me in so many ways in his short life.

He taught me patience.  Lacy has shown me the power of observation.  What is happening and why?  How did we get here and where do we go?

Parenting Lacy has instilled in me the understanding of how important it is to really listen.  How many times have I listened to the weather forecast, or the dates, names, and publishers of worship music?  I could interrupt, but I'd be wasting the chance to hear something profound or wonderful.    The question "Did you know..." meant we'd hear a nugget of wisdom.

Lacy taught me how to experience wonder.  "Mom, I wonder about something..." he would begin, and then ask a question about how politics works in our country, or why the mountains looked purple in the distance.

Lacy taught me joy in the little things.  "Neato, neato, neato!!" he crowed when we drove through a cloverleaf as we entered St. Louis.

Our son showed me the importance of seizing the moment and holding it.  So few were the moments that Lacy would allow a hug, a kiss, or a caress.

Lacy's heart is always open and vulnerable.  We attended an Easter play once at a local church.  One of the scenes that played out on stage was that of Jesus healing a blind man.  The actor playing the blind man ran down the aisle announcing "I can see!  I can see!"  Tears ran down Lacy's cheeks.

Thanks to my mentor, I have been blessed beyond anything I can ask or think.

God knows what He is doing when He sets us on our paths.  What joy and wisdom He has taught us on the way.  Thanks be to God for our son, Lacy.

I love you, Lacy Goff, my son and mentor.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Day by Day

Alan is doing better since his hospitalization.  His outbursts are fewer, and are less "pitched" than before his med changes.  The staff assigned to him at his group home are doing well with him.  They have to pick their battles, as we all do, and are trying to keep him to a schedule. We took Alan to his neurology appointment this week.  Usually when someone asks Alan how he is doing, he just says "fine," but on this day he answered, "My knees are weak, and I have to lean over and hold on to things." After examination, Alan's doctor recommended physical therapy, as Alan is perilously close to falling.  While we don't know if Alan will be able to follow a therapists directions, or will even want to cooperate, we will arrange for a consultation. I can deal with the nuts and bolts of being an advocate and sometimes caregiver for my son, but I find it hard to maintain the focus I need when I hear his say that he is having trouble walking.  It is
Read more

Our Sweet Beloved Son

Image
Lacy Alan Goff passed away into the arms of Jesus early in the morning of May 28, 2016.  We were called to the nursing home about 1:30 am. God has shown His mercy.  Lacy was still himself most of the time. He was mostly happy and always had a smile on his face.  We do not have to watch the slow decline of HD rob him of what was left of himself. We have been privileged to be Lacy's parents for 35 years.  He has been a joy in our lives and hearts.  We had such hard times, but Lacy never failed to try his hardest.  He was a worshipper of the Lord Jesus and a man of faith.  He slipped into heaven in his sleep.  What a joyous homecoming party in heaven! "Soady Pops" for everyone!! Now it is left to us to plan our goodbye and to keep walking our own road of faith knowing that our sweet beloved son is in the arms of our Lord and Savior. My last words to him yesterday afternoon were "I love you."  He smiled at me.  I hugged him.  On the way home, a scripture sud
Read more

Grief and Hope

When we visited with our pastor in preparation for Lacy's service, he reminded us of the scripture in I Thessalonians 4:13   But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about those who have died, so that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope ... Knowing where Lacy is, that he is safe and finally free of all his burdens, does not assuage the pain of loss.  We are grieving - sometimes with tears, sometimes with a swift intake of breath - and the grief is oppressive.  I don't want anyone to have the idea that our faith that gives us the hope of eternal life somehow makes us immune to grief.  On the contrary, we are able to express our pain because we know where our son is right now.  We are mourning the loss of his presence in our lives, and the loss of daily contact with the son we loved with all our hearts.   There are no words to express this grief.  My body has seemed to shut down, as though I have been under anesthesia.  I cannot keep a tho
Read more