All you need is LOVE

When I walked into the classroom I barely noticed the elderly gentleman sitting at the teacher's desk, but then I heard someone whisper, "That's Mr. Love! He's our substitute today!" and I heard another student say, "AWESOME! Mr. Love is here!" I began to wonder why on earth anyone would get excited over a substitute teacher? But then, as he called roll, and cracked his jokes and wrote his name on the board "Mr. Love", (or if he was subbing in a spanish classroom that day, his name was "Senor Amor") I began to understand...He wasn't there for the money, he wasn't there to prop his feet on a desk, pop in a movie, and call it a day. He was there because he wanted to be there. He was there because he LOVED his job, and he LOVED every student. 

Mr. Love became a regular sight over the next three years of my high school career (9th grade was on a separate campus, so he was spared our freshman mentality); he would dress up for spirit days, a clown costume, a complete pj outfit for pajama day, and on Friday spirit days, he would let us paint his face or put mustang tattoos on his cheeks. He loved Kingwood High School, heck, he probably had more spirit than the majority of the school. He always smiled, and always asked you when you walked in tardy, "Do you know what I'm supposed to do with you?" if you answered "yes", he would let you go to your desk, but if your answer was "no", it was off to the office to learn what he was supposed to do. Mr. Love took the job of substitute teacher, a job that very few want, or very few take seriously, and turned it into a career. I remember that man more than I remember most teachers I had in high school. He taught us more than just the subject he was subbing for, he taught us how to LOVE what we were doing. 

Mr. Love died yesterday at 90 years old, and up until recently, he was still subbing or volunteering at Kingwood High School. He died surrounded by his family, and students, who spent the last month visiting him and doing his yard work. 

Patrick and I have seen a lot of death these past few months, between the two of us we have lost two grandparents, an aunt, a dog, a best friend, and now, a man who probably didn't know my name, but had a tremendous influence on my future career. 

Never doubt the influence you can have in this world, never think you aren't doing enough, or you aren't important enough. This man took a job that not many people want, being a substitute teacher, and he didn't waste it. He used that job to change lives and to show people that someone cared for them. Mr. Love left such an impression on Kingwood High School that there is now a scholarship in his name, which is given to the senior who performed the most community service. I often wonder if any of these people know how much of an impact they had on this world. I don't have all of the answers, but I do believe that more than anything I have learned this past year that, "all you need is LOVE". 

So, Mr. Love, thank you for the love you provided to so many students at Kingwood High School.