Thursday, December 1, 2011

Mr. Huey

I am not afraid. Although some are counting down the days until Christmas, and others have begun to put up their holiday decorations, I will not fear. Even when I walked into WalMart last week and saw a tall Christmas tree in the center of the aisle, I did not flinch. I will not panic. I will remain calm.
Have I completed my Christmas shopping? Hardly. I am a last minute shopper and no longer even entertain thoughts of shopping for Christmas before the mood strikes me. Besides, I have a plan.
My tree has been ordered through a fundraiser for my nephew's baseball team. A few pieces of costume jewelry were purchased at another fundraiser, and thanks to my cousin, Julie, I already have ideas for some of the people on my Christmas list. Julie recently sent me an article which suggested the purchase of gift certificates from local businesses. Hair cuts, pedicures, massages, gym memberships, car washes, oil changes, lawn services, or cleaning services are all options to be explored. Gift cards to local restaurants and coffee shops top my list of gifts to give. As much as possible, I want to support the business owners in my community. I always look for and welcome gift giving ideas. Except when it comes to Huey Louque. I have purchased the same gift for him for the past eighteen years. A box of cordial cherries.
It all started when my son, Geoffrey, was in third grade. He surprised me by asking, "Can I give Mr. Huey a gift for Christmas?"
"Sure, but he's not your teacher. Why do you want to give him something?"
"He lets us play football at recess."
And that's when the cordial cherry tradition began. The following year, Mr. Huey was Geoffrey's teacher, so in addition to the Christmas gift from the class, Geoffrey gave him another box of cordial cherries. Maybe it's because habits are difficult to break, but probably because Mr. Huey was such an important person in my children's lives that we continued this Christmas tradition. It's a simple reminder to a past teacher that we still think about him and appreciate his part in our lives. My daughter Elise best summed him up when she said, "It's obvious that Mr. Huey likes to teach and it makes me want to learn."
Although he is no longer teaching, his impact on my children, and hundreds of others, has remained. His kindness, generosity, love of teaching and love of learning continues to resonate in those fortunate enough to have once been his students.
We have thought about him a lot this past year because his Christmas 2010 box of candy is still sitting on the top of my refrigerator. The small brightly wrapped gift never quite made it to Mr. Huey, but it's generated many conversations and more prayers. I admitted it to him in a recent phone conversation. "Huey, I didn't forget about you last year. Every time I see your gift, I pray for you." In typical Huey fashion, he laughed and thanked me.
This year, I will buy a fresh box of candy, wrap it, and deliver it to my former colleague, one of my children's favorite teachers, and a faithful friend. I know it's not much, but it represents so much more than the couple of dollars it costs. It's a sweet reminder of the past; of a tradition born from a child's gratefulness to a selfless teacher.
As we approach the celebration of the birth of our Savior, I hope you have a list of people whose lives have impacted your own. Whether or not you buy them a gift, I hope you take a moment to make a call or write a note and thank them for their role in your life. I hope I remember to deliver all of my Christmas gifts, and for the first time in eighteen years I just thought of something, I hope Huey likes cordial cherries!
Ronny may be reached at rmichel@rtconline.com

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