When I was in college I had a professor who taught me a lot not only about English, but also about life. He taught with a joy, energy, and enthusiasm that touched everyone in his classes. He made us laugh, he made us learn, and he made us think as well. Here are just a few of the things that he taught me. He taught me that work isn't about getting a paycheck at the end of each week, it is about loving what you do and doing what you love. He taught me not to take life so seriously and that laughter is good when facing life's difficulties. He showed me that life is best when lived with zest and vitality and that what you put into life is what you get back from it. He showed me that the school of life is never out and that we keep learning every day of our lives. He explained how everything from music, to books, to people, to experiences can be our teachers if we are only willing to learn. He explained too that it is always best to learn with enthusiasm and to live with joy.

I was truly blessed to have had such a great teacher at such a young age. He opened my mind and started me on the path of a lifetime's worth of learning. I have tried to stay a good student of life since then. I have also tried to be a decent teacher as well by passing on what I learned in my writings and in my life. Only time will tell how good a one I have been.

In this life we are all students and we are all teachers. What we learn and what we teach, however, is up to us. May you always learn in enthusiasm and in joy then. May you always teach with energy and with love as well. May you never stop learning what God needs you to learn and may you always teach what God wants you to teach. I hope that you graduate this life with honors as a Child of God and I hope that you spend all of your years here as a Professor of love and of life.

© Joseph J. Mazella
Used with permission

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