Seeing With Your Heart

September 3, 2000

I once had a student who loved recesses with a passion. It so happened that it was his turn to be the "special friend" that week to any incoming new students. His task was to help new friends get acquainted, show new procedures and to make the new student feel welcome.

We were having an intramural day and classes were competing against each other. My student was very active and was really into sporting events. Knowing how important it was to him, I asked: "Would you like for me to appoint a substitute for today?"

I could see my student's intense desire to really get into the activities and not be hindered by performing his "special duties." "That's okay, Mrs. Clayton. We'll have another intramural day next year." I appointed him a substitute anyway. At the end of the day, my student hugged me tight and ran to the school bus. Once on the bus, he waved from an open window and I could hear him call to me as the bus drove away: "Mrs. Clayton, you're the best teacher in the whole world......" I watched the bus disappear through my teary eyes, thankful that I had listened with my heart that day.

My husband is an early riser. His favorite meal is breakfast. I mean breakfast with the works! Bacon and eggs, biscuits and gravy, hash browns, tomatoes, cantaloupe and grape jelly are his favorite things to eat in the early morning. I'm not too great at getting up early. It's still dark. Besides, sleeping late is a benefit of retirement. But when I hear him stirring around shaving and getting dressed, I turn over in bed and moan: "Do you want me to cook breakfast?" "No, that's too much trouble. I'll just go to town and get something." That's when I stumble out of bed and head to the kitchen. It's worth it all when he kisses me good-bye and leaves the house with a full stomach, whistling all the way.

My Aunt Mary lived to be ninety-three. She had been legally blind for the last several years of her life, but she didn't let that get in her way. She lived alone in an apartment complex and spent her days making lab robes for rest homes. She had an ingenious way of "feeling" to thread her needle.

Periodically, we brought Aunt Mary home with us for weekend visits.  I shall never forget her last visit with us. It was a beautiful day in October. After church we took Aunt Mary out to eat and to visit other relatives. As we drove into our driveway later in the afternoon, Aunt Mary exclaimed: "It's been such a wonderful day. The sermon was inspiring. The food was delicious. I loved visiting with relatives and here we are home."

As I helped Aunt Mary get out of her car, she took a deep breath. "Just smell the fall air. Isn't it delicious? And look at that tree over there. It is beautiful!" We had an ornamental pear tree in our yard whose leaves had turned into brilliant scarlet flames. Its blazing red and wine leaves were having its last finale in nature's best production.

"Aunt Mary!" I gasped. "Can you see that tree?" "No, but I can feel it. Somehow I know it's there. Maybe I can smell it.  It's just such a beautiful day and everything seems so right. It's kind of like I feel it in my heart."

Aunt Mary left me with a most precious memory.  Seeing with your heart is the best sight of all."