Geoffrey Alii and Ashley

Geoffrey Alii is a wonderful teacher at Pabo SS. I say he is a wonderful man, because he has worked very hard over the last 3 years to become a better teacher. When this program, Invisible Children, started for him he was set in so many of his ways. He began to listen to some of what the Teacher Exchange is designed to do...To open up communication and learn from others. I have learned so much from my Ugandan friends, and yesterday Geoffrey told us what he had learned from Americans. He learned to be more open in his thoughts and his emotions. He talked about Americans always crying when they come to his school and embrace his students. He talked about a young American high school student, opening up a building that had been paid for by donations from maybe some of you. He talked about Justine crying when she thought about what she could do for the students of Pabo. Geoffrey talked about learning how to hug more, and he said Americans are always hugging each other. He talked about hugging his granddaughter, and how she welcomes these new hugs from her Grandpa.

Yesterday, I learned that a student Ashley Tapperson had died. Ashley had such a wonderful smile. She was quiet and a little shy in my class, so it was not every day that I saw that smile out of Ashley. But when I did it made my day. Ashley was a diver, coached wonderfully by her dad. Her dad is always smiling and playful when I see him, quick with a kind word and a warm handshake. I could see his smile in Ashley's smile. Ashley had the most wonderful notebook, I have ever seen. It was neat, it was organized, it often had color in it. It looked like it was made by Prentice-Hall to accompany a textbook. I told her she should be a professional note taker in college (the job exists to help some students who cannot take notes). Ashley was a flip thrower in soccer. If you have never seen that it is an amazing talent! Ashley was a wonderful young women who will be missed by many.

So I want all of you reading this to spend today, hugging everyone you know. Let's be those Americans today that Geoffrey spoke about. Let's live in the moment and hug: good friends and total strangers. Let's hug 2 year olds we know and hug the Ashleys we know in our life.

Thanks Ashley, I saw so much life and wonderful talent in you. I saw smiles and greatness. ... and in Uganda half a world away, I want to hug you one more time. So today I will hug Kelley, my friend and fellow teacher.