What's Your Legacy?

This is a story that was written by one of Deb’s students last week. It brought tears to both of us. This was re-printed with the students permission:

My father was about 5’11” he was a larger guy. My father was born in 1959, both of my dad’s parents were Native American, so that made him 100% Indian. My grandfather was, I think, 100% Turtle Mountain Band of the Chippewa Indian from South Dakota. My father, was one of eleven children. My father, was always told if you are not home on time to eat, you will not eat. My dad was always telling me about when he was younger and what he and his friends would do for fun. I remember when my dad and I went outside at night and he showed me how an eclipse was made.

My dad was one of the best role models I have ever had because he was always there for my mom, sister and me. My father was always willing to give his time to anyone so that they could have fun and feel good, like there was someone out there that was there for them when they needed a friend. He was always working so that my sister and I could have all the things that he didn’t have when he was a kid. My father spent a little bit of his time at the movies, but he favored talking to my sister and I about the Bible.

My father’s mother died when I was almost too young to remember. The only thing I can remember about my grandmother is that she died of cancer when I think I was about five years old, as for my grandfather he died when I was about seven. My father was always volunteering at the school where my sister and I were enrolled, and he also participated in the P.T.A. (Parent Teacher Association) at our school. My father was always trying to find time to help others. I remember one time, my mother told me that my dad had gotten two tickets because he was out in the road telling people that there were cops around the curve and they are giving tickets out to people who were trying to pass on the median because there was a stalled car on the side of the road. He got two tickets because he passed on the median, and the second ticket was for being out in the road and trying to warn people about cops.

My father, was always reading the Bible and watching movies in his free time. My father was always preaching to anyone and everyone who would listen to him. I remember he would always go out walking at later hours of the day with his Bible in his hand, he found this homeless younger man and preached to him constantly about the Lord. This young man would come over to talk to my dad and listen to my father preach to him and he would listen to every word of it. My father was very kind to everyone he came in contact with in his lifetime. One of the most valuable things I got, from the best role model I have ever had, was at the time the stupidest thing I had ever received, it was a dictionary. My father laughed when I had opened it up and said that this would be the most valuable thing I ever give you.

My father was home from work and I had been home from the bike track that my friend and I had gone to that day. Mother was in her room folding clothes and my sister and I were washing the dishes after we had eaten. My sister and I were arguing about something, I can’t remember what it was, but my dad yelled at my sister and I, and then my father left to go to the mall and pay some bills. It was early the next morning when my three uncles were in the front room and told me to sit down in the chair next to them. When I sat down, they told me that my father had been murdered in the bathroom stall at the mall.

This story happens to be all that is left of my best role model that I ever had.