What goes around........

I love to get "good mail"... you know the kind that just makes you feel good. Not a bill, not someone asking your for money, not junk - just a card or letter that lets you know someone was thinking of you.

The little kids had the greatest soccer coach ever last year - always encouraging them. I never heard a negative word come out of the man's mouth. Their team could make a play that had the entire crowd wondering what was going through their brains and he would be on the sideline yelling about what great teamwork they were showing. I spent the season wishing the man could coach every team they ever played on.

They loved soccer and they loved him. At the end of the season I wrote this coach a letter. I told him how much we appreciated all the time he took with the kids - making sure they loved playing. I let him know how much we appreciated how good he made them feel about their soccer "skills" and how we would always remember what an awesome coach he had been.

Then -- life went on. I tell you all that to tell you this.

Saturday, at the education center I am scheduled to administer a test to adults to determine their basic education level, so that we can start their GED preparation. That was all well and good, except I had three LARGE boxes of tests, books and answer sheets but absolutely no idea what I was supposed to do with any of it. Saturday was rapidly approaching and I was running out of time in a hurry.

I finally got the the phone number of one person I could call who might be able to train me to do this testing before Saturday, so that I didn't have to cancel the test. I called her yesterday and told her my name and she said, "You might not know me, but I know who you are."

Turns out - she was the coach's wife and she told me how much he had appreciated getting my letter. She said it really meant a lot to him and he had in fact, kept it.....so what could she do for me?

So -- his kindness led to my thankfulness and my small show of appreciation led to his wife training me today while administering the test at our local county jail. After several hours in a locked room with six inmates, I feel quite confident that I can administer this test with no problem, so come Saturday morning there is going to be a test given after all....and hopefully, at least one adult is on their way to a better life.