A teacher in his own right.

Last week my favorite uncle passed away. He lived on Cape Cod so we didn't see each other as often as I would have liked, but I did make a concerted effort to visit him and my aunt frequently over the past year and a half. As I attended the special tribute to him after the funeral, it dawned on me what a great teacher he was. He was a life teacher and everyone who came in contact with him learned something from him. His children and grandchildren inherited his love of music and are actively involved in musical careers. Others who got up and spoke of him talked about the values he instilled in the younger generations: respect, compassion, patience, and most of all love. The tribute was a celebration of his life and I, for one, am a better person for having known him. As a future teacher, if I can pass on the aforementioned attributes to even one of my students, then I will succeed in carrying on my uncle's "life's lessons taught" legacy.