By Nancy Patrick

When I began teaching school in 1972, I viewed my call to teach young people as a way to serve God in the secular world. As a teenager, I played with the thought of becoming a missionary, but I left that idea when Mike and I fell in love and married at such young ages. We lived on a hurried schedule of getting our degrees and starting our professions. Mike’s plan included a degree in religion while I prepared to teach English on the secondary level in public school.

I obtained my first position as an English teacher at Eastern Hills High School in Fort Worth in 1972. I could (but should not) write a book about the evolution of public-school teaching during my lifetime. I will say that I had more freedom to express my thoughts and opinions than today’s environment might allow. 

Perhaps a bit inexperienced, I wanted to do more than teach grammar, composition, and literature to students. I felt that teaching gave me the opportunity to select the content of my curriculum to point my students into what I viewed as  moral, responsible, and ethical lives.

One of my techniques was to have a new “thought for the day” on the chalkboard each day. The adage had nothing in particular to do with that day’s content, but it gave me the needed few minutes to check attendance, take care of personal “crises” that many students broughr into class each day, and get my breath as I embarked on that day’s lesson.

I have always enjoyed inspirational posters, books of encouragement, and proverbial sayings that provided material for my “thoughts” collection. I achieved my purpose by offering extra credit on minor assignments for students who could quote a thought from that week’s list. I’m not sure if today’s tech-savvy students would appreciate my attempt to influence them, but my students seemed to enjoy the axioms and often asked to discuss them.

By the end of my career, I had compiled an extensive list of these sayings. Today, I will share five.   

• Today is the first day of the rest of your life.

I confess that many of my daily thoughts may seem trite and optimistic, perhaps even a little naïve in nature, but I didn’t want my teenage students to become apathetic as they began their life journeys. Many of them already knew about divorce, poverty, and disappointment, but their youth enabled them to see a brighter future. They still had time to see possibilities, make plans, and formulate goals. They also knew many adults in their school would gladly mentor and guide them. This thought acknowledges that past mistakes do not have to repeat themselves. Every day starts a new beginning.

• The language of love is understood by all.

Not all students felt loved. Some lived in difficult circumstances in which parents’ financial situations presented worries for their families. Children long to express love and receive love but can confuse their parents’ difficulties with lack of affection. Learning the language of love proves problematic for some, especially those whose homes use harsh, critical language as a matter of course. Kindness involves learning soft, positive, encouraging, inspirational, and supportive words. The kindness expressed through caring relationships has no language barriers. It includes smiles, soft touches, and gentle words.

• When a friend asks, there is no tomorrow.

This statement should not always be interpreted in literal terms. The importance of it relates to the necessity of trustworthy, reliable, consistent friends. Many people have experienced failed relationships— some with parents, siblings, teachers, pastors, and friends. Friendship requires commitment and consistency. If we want friends we can count on, we must learn to reciprocate. This kind of friendship will involve sacrifice. 

• Love is the root of all virtues.

Life contains a lot of pain, betrayal, dishonesty, duplicity, unfaithfulness, and hatred. These harsh realities seem to stem from selfishness, envy, jealousy, ambition, and desire. Love requires great cost, but it provides the essential ingredient in a life of purpose and spiritual abundance.

• Hate is sand in the machinery of life–love is the oil.

This saying expresses the same idea as the last one but in a different way. Love and hate can seem to fill our lives. Hate has its source in selfishness, greed, pride, ambition, and egotistical aspirations. The expressions of love manifest themselves in selflessness, generosity, humility, and compassion for others.

I have tried to live my own life according to the sentiments expressed in my “thoughts for the day.” I know I have failed at times, but as the saying goes, “Today is the rest of your life.” I will try to do better tomorrow; it will be the first day of the rest of my life.

Nancy Patrick is a retired teacher who lives in Abilene and enjoys writing