Dear Coach Head,

Once in a lifetime, life decides to put someone on this Earth who truly shatters all expectations of what the perfect teacher is. That Monday of my sophomore year, I came into your classroom expecting nothing less than the typical strict, hard-faced history teacher that every student has seen in the movies; however, nothing could have prepared me for the teacher that greeted me at the door.

You were nothing short of phenomenal. Actually, scratch that-- I’ve come to find that there is no word in the English language adequate enough to describe you. You taught me a lesson the first day, and I’ve carried it with me ever since: “Don’t whine, don’t complain, and don’t make excuses.” Little did I know the multitude of life lessons you would instill in not only me, but also to every student around me.

You taught me so much. It is unfathomable that one teacher-one man- could have such a profound effect on other students and me. You taught not only history, but also life, something no teacher had ever done before. You taught students about Robert E. Lee and about doing their best. You taught about the Civil War and maintaining civility in all situations. You taught me how to love not only others with everything in me, but also myself. That is one lesson for which I will never be able to thank you enough.

You taught me about God. You told students that they could go anywhere they wanted to in life as long as they kept the Lord in their heart and by their side. You taught students to love God and to remember that at the end of the day, “good grades won’t get you into Heaven.” That’s not to say you didn’t want us to try to do our best when it came to tests and quizzes, because you did, but at the end of the day, I’ve come to realize that He doesn’t care whether or not the grades are good, but rather that your heart and soul are.

You taught me to laugh in all situations. Every day, you threw a ball around the classroom, teaching us hand-eye coordination and how to avoid getting hit in the face with it! What I wouldn’t give to catch that ball and hear you say, “Good catch, Sweetpea” one more time.

You taught me to go through each day with a smile, saying, “You have a beautiful smile. You should use it more often.” You taught me compassion. You taught me faithfulness. You taught me that there were 86,400 seconds in a day and not to waste a single one, and I promise I won’t.

Lastly, you taught me a lesson I hoped to never have to learn from you: you taught me about loss. I’ve been fortunate enough to have never lost someone deeply close to me; however, receiving the call of your passing changed that. It felt as if my heart opened up and collapsed in on itself like a black hole. I hoped to never receive that phone call on Wednesday afternoon. I came home as soon as I possibly could in order to attend your funeral; I was taken aback by the amount of people in attendance. Seeing the amount of people you affected, the amount of lives you changed for the better was astonishing. Knowing the impact you made upon hundreds if not thousands of people makes me want to be a better person. You gave me a desire to have as much an influence as you did.

You used to ask me, “How’s your heart this mornin’?” Honestly, it’s hurting. A lot. But I know you wouldn’t want me to cry because you’re in a better place, and you’re so happy. And when you’re happy, you flash that smile that every person loved so much.

So, here’s to you and everything you taught me, Coach Head. I know you’re chatting with God and Robert E. Lee, and I hope one day, I’m able to join that conversation.

Love You Always,
Julianna "Sweetpea" Reynolds