What would you say to someone if you knew it was your very last chance to speak to them in this life? What would you tell them? Would you just choke it back, afraid to speak or would you say the words that before only lived in your heart? Unfortunatly we always know just what we want to say, what we need to say, when it is too late. We seldom know in time and so let our moments pass us by. Perhaps we should learn to do things differently, perhaps we should learn to speak.
This is what I would say. “Thank you. Thank you Dr. Caldwell for believing in me, for caring about me, for taking an interest in my studies and in my future career. Thank you for being the very first professor to ask me where I was going to graduate school- I had never really considered it before I found out that you expected me to go. Thank you for asking me about my classes. Thank you for saying good morning every single day. Thank you for the times that we walked back from your class together, the short walk taking fifteen minutes or more. Thank you for all the times you came to school even when you were in pain. Thank you for talking about boxing with me. And I’m sorry. I’m sorry I didn’t get to hear your civil rights stories. I’m sorry I grew impatient at times to be on my way instead of fully soaking in the wisdom you were offering. I’m sorry that I didn’t get to…no, I’m sorry that I didn’t take the time to say thank you, and to tell you that you made such a difference in my life. I will miss you forever and I will remember you always. You were and still are one of my heroes.
The deep pain that is felt at the death of every friendly soul arises from the feeling that there is in every individual something which is inexpressible, peculiar to him alone, and is, therefore, absolutely and irretrievably lost. Arthur Schopenhauer
Come, ye disconsolate, where’er ye languish,
Come to the mercy seat, fervently kneel.
Here bring your wounded hearts, here tell your anguish;
Earth has no sorrow that heaven cannot heal.
(Thomas Moore)
((hugs))
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