Healing

So, I had a date slip past me this year without even thinking about it. I thought about it a couple of weeks BEFORE the date of the event, but I didn't even think of it on the day or after, until last week.

If you have read my blog a while or know me, you know the school I teach at was nearly defined by a single event about three years ago. A student, a 4 star football recruit, was killed in an 'incident.' I don't know for sure what happened and I am not sure anyone else does, either. It nearly ruined us. It devastated the school and divided the community. We had CNN calling the school. We were on local news, cable news, and media websites.

At any rate, the day of his death passed without incident this year. That was the first time that has happened.  It doesn't mean we don't miss him. It doesn't mean we don't think about him. This group of 12th graders were freshmen when it happened, so hopefully we can all continue to heal. I know I was forever changed by the events of that day. December 10, 2008. I think about the last time I talked with him, even though I didn't know him well. We talked about orchids. Yes, orchids - the flower. He was doing a research paper on them. I know the kids still think about him. Periodically, a kid will show me a picture of him on their phone and ask if I wonder what he'd be doing these days.

This is what I do think about though. The next time I or anyone else insult a football player who we do NOT know personally, think about this idea. None of us is guaranteed tomorrow. We don't EVER know when there might be an ordinary accident or a bizarre, unexplained accident. We don't know about health. I am glad I have peace in my heart that the last thoughts I had on Friday afternoon were about BJ and his strange research paper on orchids. I am glad I didn't have a conversation on the way home that day that, 'wow, this kid is _________'. It is SO easy to throw thoughts out on social media that insult and assault the character of a person that we don't know at all. My wish for the memory of BJ is that we would all take 2 seconds before words flow out of out mouths that insult a group of fans, a player (you know, because what the media says about someone is ALWAYS true), or anyone else for that matter-and consider that there might not be a tomorrow or another hour.

Healing, however slowly, is finally coming to our sweet community. We've been waiting for you.

And BJ, I sure do wish you'd gotten the opportunity to be a part of the 2010 AU football team. Every time I think of you, I think of 'team day' with your entire Auburn PJ outfit.

Thanks, Seniors

I did this last year and decided I would do it again this year. I think the seniors are all worth being thanked individually, so I do my best to try to say a bit to each of them, even if they never read it. As a whole, all of you deserve to be thanked for standing tall when things were rough. I hope that you come back and visit often and keep in touch with the Auburn family. I know lots of people say that we only won the national championship because of Cam, but we won because of each one of you. Every one of you played a part in it in one way or the other.

In no particular order...

Chandler Brooks- Wow, you came up big when we needed you. That play will be in the highlight films for quite some time. Thank you for your time and dedication to Auburn.

Sam Brown-  I will admit, I don't know very much about you. However, you were a part of the team. Thank you so much for your time and dedication to Auburn.

Quindarius Carr- You had some fabulous punt returns. It was fun to watch you run. Thank you for your time and dedication to the Auburn team and family.

Drew Cole- I always watched you as much as I could. I work not far from Picayune, so I really wanted to see you do well. Thanks so much for sticking it out and staying with it. The Auburn family is grateful!

Jared Cooper-  I think this year you provided some much needed leadership this year. Thank you for your time and dedication to Auburn.

Eltoro Freeman- You are a real Auburn man. You set a goal and you reached it. I know it wasn't easy for you and you didn't reach all of your goals. You earned my respect. Even when people sort of gave you a hard time, you kept putting one foot in front of the other and never game up. I hope you stay in touch with Auburn and visit often. Thank you so much for your dedication and love for Auburn.

A.J Greene- You battled injury and injury, but you never let it stop you. You have been an excellent leader and player. Thank you for your time and love for Auburn.

Josh Harris- I know long snappers don't get the credit they deserve, but you really deserve credit. Snap after snap, you were error-free, even when others got the glory. I ragged you a bit on twitter since you made fun of a band t-shirt, but I was really kidding. (sorta) Thank you for being such an awesome player and person. You were a leader when we needed it. I hope you do well in the senior bowl.  Thank you so much for everything you did for Auburn.

Davis Hooper- I think you were a quiet leader. I mostly say this based off of what others say about you, but quiet leadership can take you far in life. You did make a difference. Thank you for your time and dedication to Auburn. We are all grateful for your time. I hope you stay in touch and visit with the team in the future.

Chris Humphries- A fullback doesn't always get all the credit he deserves, either. Thank you for your time and service to Auburn. This family loves you and thanks you.

Bobby Ingalls- Thanks so much for your time and dedication to Auburn. You made a difference, even when you thought no one noticed.

Brandon Mosley- Wow, you helped out this year! You provided leadership to a very young group. I thank you for your time and dedication to Auburn. You will always be a part of the Auburn family. I hope you stay in touch with the team and visit often.

Nathan Taylor- Thank you for your time and dedication to Auburn. You made a difference even if you didn't think you did. Thank you for everything you did for the team.

Neiko Thorpe-  You had such a great career at Auburn. Not only did you make some big plays, but you made a difference to the younger guys, Thank you for your time at Auburn. I wish you much luck and hope you are able to visit us in the future.

Jay Wisner- You had some big catches this year! Thanks for your dedication to the team and to Auburn. I hope you are very successful and all of your future dreams come true.

Finally, I want to thank Coach Roof and Coach Malzahn.

Coach Roof- Thank you for time time and dedication at Auburn. You are truly an honorable man. Thank you to your family as well. I wish you luck at the next step in your life.

Coach M- Wow, what a ride. Thank you for being such a positive influence for all of us. We will miss you greatly. We wish you could stay, be we also understand the need to move on to another level. Best wishes and thanks for sharing your family with us.  Come and visit as much as you can.

War Eagle to all of you.

Daily Blessings

I saw a lot of people doing a daily post on things they were thankful for this month. I had thought about doing it, but decided not to do it. However, in the last few days, I have had a couple of answered prayer requests. I am thankful for many things. I am thankful for a God who cares and knows the things that we need. I am thankful for two very specific needs that were fulfilled very recently.  I am also thankful for a wonderful family. Things didn't work out the way I thought they might. I always hoped I'd be married and have my own children by now. However, God had other plans for me. I have been blessed with two adorable nieces that I love more than anything. I have wonderful parents who I am close to, and I am close with my sister and her husband. I am thankful that they let me treat the twins like they were my own. I am thankful for the wonderful friends that I have. A few of you are as close as family, and I am thankful for that. I am thankful that I have a job. Everything isn't perfect, but I love going to work with my kids. I am thankful for a nice home. It may have termites at the moment, but I am thankful for a termite bond that will fix the damage. I am thankful for the country that I live in. There may me imperfections, but I love my country. I am also grateful for the men and women who protect the freedoms we enjoy. I am thankful that I have good health. I am also thankful that I have been able to enjoy Auburn football. It may sound petty, but when my whole family can go to the whole game together, it isn't petty at all. It makes me thankful for the traditions my grandparents have passed down through Auburn football and now is passed to the twins. I think I could go on forever, but I will spare everyone. I just wanted to mention some of the things I am thankful for on this Thanksgiving Eve. Now, what about you?

Big Day on the Plains

Well, since http://www.thewareaglereader.com was linking my blog on his site, I thought MAYBE I should add my tidbit on here.

First, a week ago, my family headed up to Auburn for our 'all together game'. We enjoy it every year, and we had a great time this year.

Anyway, the info I sent to The War Eagle Reader was about Tiger Walk. It was just a mistake, but it didn't stop it from being...interesting. Normally, we go to Tiger Walk early and try to stand along the the rails so we are near the players. This year, we were super busy and didn't get over there until late, so we decided to stand up on the hill. The crowd was huge, as always, when a Mississippi State Trooper arrives and decides to try to drive through the crowd. I would have thought when he saw the very large crowd, he would stop, check game day info and turn around, but nope, he pressed on. Eventually, he got to the guard rails and some friendly fans helped him back up and get out of there.

Now, I can't imagine driving though that crowd. I can't speak for anyone else. At any rate, there you go. I sure am glad Auburn is off today. I can enjoy the hoopla of today's SEC matchup with no worries!

Fun Weekend

So, I've been to plenty of Auburn games. This weekend, I went to the AU/Florida game with my sister and brother-in-law. We had a great time. We got there early. We were able to go see the National Championship Trophy.

We also got to go over to Toomer's Corner and look around a bit before it was covered in TP.

Now, it breaks my heart to see the little guardrails around the trees. However, the Auburn Spirit isn't broken and we carry on.

The rest of the pre-game morning was uneventful. We did the usuals like the bookstore, Tiger Walk, and Anders.

Then, the game. This story isn't really about the football game. I enjoyed it very much, and it was certainly worth its own story and post. I am proud of the guys, especially the DEFENSE, Codey and Steven, and of Clint. However, I digress. Our family's seats are in a location where there aren't really a group of people who act like morons during the game. If you sit there, you behave. Most of the people have sat around each other for years. So, this guy is sitting behind me who isn't normally there. He was DRUNK. I dont mean tipsy, sloppy, or woozy. I mean slurring, falling down drunk. The first thing that happened was that he spilled his drink on my head...it was all in my hair and ALL down my back. He apologized repeatedly, but I just kinda said, 'yeah, ok, dont worry.' Then, it happened AGAIN. This time, he tried to give me money!!!! I was very close to going to let a event security person know.  Then, he elbowed me in the head. He leaned forward and slurred, 'Can I get a hug.' Ahem. I don't hug much anyway. Much less a drunk person that I don't know. I said, 'not right now.'  I was going to swap seats with my brother in law, but  it was very close to halftime. Thankfully, the ladies sitting next to this bozo suggested that he put his drink down for a while.  Then, when it was halftime, the ladies told him to go get a coke and some food and sit down outside and eat and try to sober up a little.

He came back after halftime. He TOTALLY REEKED. Of course, I did too by this time. He was much 'less drunk' by this time. If you kept up with the game at all, you know what happened in the 2ns half. He never seemed to realize they changed quarterbacks. He cheered for Kiehl when he was in, but when Clint would come in, he kept saying, 'Come on, Trotter!!' The ladies told him twice what was going on, then they quit trying.

I think toward the end of the game, he had sobered up quite a bit. When it became obvious we were going to win, he leaned up and said, 'War Eagle.' I replied with 'War Eagle' and patted him on the hand.  I don't think he will be getting a ticket in that area again soon. The ladies know the owner of that ticket, and we watch out for each other in that section. Plus, he was going back home to Washington. I don't wish anything bad on him at all, but he better hope he isn't in that seat for the Ole Miss game. If he is that drunk then, my dad will have someone come remove him, which I would totally agree with since the twins will be going.

So, there is my fun Florida game story. I am just glad we parked at facilities so I could clean up before we drove back to Mobile. I just know when I went to the restroom and stuff, people thought I was roasted because I smelled of alcohol so much! Oh well, if thats what I had to do for us to win, I was fine with stinking for a few hours! :)

What do you do?

I knew it would happen sooner or later. I have experienced loss as a teacher before. As I have mentioned before, we lost a student a few years ago and it was extremely traumatic. I didn't have that student in MY class. I grieved then, but it wasn't like this.  I had another little girl die several years ago. She had cancer and we knew it was coming. That doesn't make it any easier, really. This one ripped my heart out. THIS one was a student I had a few times. He graduated a couple of years ago. He was trying to do something with his life. He was working, taking classes, and had just joined the military. (Just in case my online friends are wondering, this is not the student I so frequently referred to as kiddo. This one graduated a couple of years before that group)

I first saw a story online about the accident. It just said, 'Mississippi Man Killed in Wreck on Springhill Ave.' I clicked on it. I promise, I didn't even read the story. His name just stood out to me. It was like his name was in 65 pt font. He has an unusual name, so I knew it was him. It was just an accident.

I had JUST heard from him the Friday before. He sent a message through another teacher to say hello, that he missed us, and that he was doing well.

My heart hurt. It hurt for me, the other teachers, his friends, his sister, his mom, his girlfriend, and for everyone who didnt get the chance to know him.  I questioned, 'Why would God take a kid who was trying to do something with his life??' I still wonder. I don't know the answers.  I know God is in control. He HAS comforted me. I talked with his mom last night at the service last night. She has been comforted by God as well, although she is hurting deeply.

When I first found out, I thought, 'Well, it would just be easier to not open my heart to the students I teach. It's just too hard to lose them.' I didn't think about that too long because that just isn't me. I have cried often. My heart has felt crushed. I had even felt like I was going to suffocate at times.

The service had to be delayed so long because his sister was in the car with him, and she was injured. They needed to let her heal. When she limped in last night with a cast on her arm and another one her leg, I burst into tears.  His family welcomed me last night. His mom hugged me. I shared stories about him in class. He ALWAYS kept everyone laughing. He was a treasure to have in class. It was an honor to teach him. I wish everyone had gotten the chance to know him. I wish he had gotten the chance to grow up.  I don't know why, but I know God does. Please continue to pray for his family. It has gotten easier as the days have gone by. I think I will always think about him at student assemblies (he was a great hip-hop dancer and once danced at a talent show. it was quite a memorable performance) and during basketball season. I won't forget him, but it has gotten easier. I love my job. I love the kids I teach. It's hard when things end this way, but I wouldn't trade having known him for anything.

More of this and that

So, I told a friend I had some favorite football players that didn't go to Auburn or Southern Miss. I was telling him using twitter with my cellphone, so I couldn't really list any players, so here they are in no particular order. I'm going to add a little story for some of them, but for some of them, there isn't really a reason.  I don't think it makes me any LESS of an Auburn fan because I appreciate some players from other schools. Nor does it make me any less of a Southern Miss fan. I love both of my schools but I also love football. Sometimes, I love these guys for off the field reasons, but these are players I admire, nonetheless.

1.  Peyton Manning
2. Dexter McCluster- he's just fast and fun to watch run
3. Tim Tebow- I don't think anyone tried harder to put God first in anything he did. You can disagree with me, and that is fine. I am not going to argue about it. I admire him.
4. Steve McNair
5. Walter Payton
6. Jay Barker
7. Colt McCoy- Did you know? He jumped out of a boat once when he was fishing because he saw someone struggling in the water. He swam across the lake and dragged him out of the water and rescued him from drowning.
8. Deion Sanders- Read his biography and your opinion of him won't be the same.
9. Herschel Walker
10. Rodney Scott- He listened when God spoke.
11. Larry Fitzgerald- I like to watch him catch and run. Even when he was in college.
12. Danny Wuerffel
13. Charlie Ward

I am sure there are some more, but these are the ones I can remember.

Now if I picked Auburn and Southern Miss players that were my favorite, we'd be here all day. :)