I Found my 8th Grade English Teacher !

     I had the most amazing experience when I was visiting my parents in Tustin, CA last week.  I was approached by my amazing 8th grade English (and Math) teacher, Mrs. Sue Spangler, of Currie Jr. High, who recognized me despite all the grey hair.  I even got TWO  drashot (sermonettes) out of the experiences.
     Last Friday night I spoke about the importance of celebrating and embracing your past in order to shape your future.  I went into details of my visit to Tustin, my Zov's Bakery breakfast visit with my Rabbi-mentor friend, Elie Spitz of Cong. Bnei Israel, and the discovering of Mrs. Spangler, or rather, her discovering me, in the 11th hour of my visit.  After an enthusiastic hug and kiss, I mentioned how she created the foundation for my writing which I have used to not only do my job, but also to help guide 14 years worth of bar and bat mitzvah kids in writing their own sermons.  I also mentioned the kindness she embodied as she covered both basic algebra and English, which helped me actually hold on to the things she was teachng me, and how I have tried to infuse my own teaching with kindness.  I also related this whole idea of embracing your past in order to move forward to similiar concepts found in the Book of Deuteronomy, and Moses' pedagogy to the Israelite nation as he reviewed their past in order to prepare them for entering the Land of Canaan.
     Today, during our early morning service, I spoke about general concepts of Reward and Punishment, and spoke about how I felt Rewarded by seeing Mrs. Spangler after I was trying to fulfill the mitzvah (commandment) of honoring my father and mother by visiting them at such a busy time in my rabbinic schedule.  I said the world doesn't always work according to Reward and Punishment, but in general, if you are being kind and reaching out to others, even when you experience set-backs, you will find that the people you have touched will be there for you -- and that is how God made the world.  At anyrate, the idea was well-received as it had at its heart, the notion of self-empowerment, as opposed to being helplessly bombarded by random acts.