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Memories
That Live On Forever by
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The purple and green-edged yearbook stands there amongst the other memories on my bookshelf. I've always enjoyed looking at it every now and again, reminiscing of days long past. I grab it off the shelf and graze my finger over the silver plate that my name was engraved upon, a specialty we got our senior year. "Here we go," I say as I flip it open, eager to see where the pages will take me. With a mind of its own, the book stops on the page where my high school coach, Mr. D. signed it. I smile at the sight of his picture and his unforgettable writing. "The tear in the corner of my eye will be for you as you walk across the stage and onto another part of your life," I read. As if seeing it for the first time, my eyes begin to water. He always did have that affect on me. I can see him still, running circles around me on our three mile course, trying diligently to crack a smile on my exhausted face. "Shall we sing a song?" he would say, laughing, sweat trickling down his red face. No matter where I was, if I ever had the evil thought of cheating or cutting a corner, I would see his blue and red running suit at the corner of my eye, always watching over me. How he did that, I'll never know. He pushed me to my fullest potential. He had sympathy when I deserved it, but also the strength to point out my faults when I needed to learn from them. He wasn't just a regular coach. He was so much more. He was my mentor, my hero. He would laugh if he heard me say that. "I'm nothing special," he always told me. But he had no idea. I'll never forget the day I was practicing my 400s on the track. I wasn't doing well and my spirits were down. I had so many goals for myself; they just seemed so out of reach. When I hadn't been my, "let's crack a joke," cheerful self, Mr. D. took me aside, asked me what was wrong. Of course, I said, "Nothing." "Oh, come on Lynn, I know you better than that." And he did. He took me into the gymnasium and we sat there for hours after practice. He gave me the pep talk I needed to hear. I left that evening with a new confidence in myself. He became more than a coach to me that day. He became my friend. He'll never realize how important he was to me, or how much I valued his opinion, even if I told him a million times. He could never believe that he touched my life that much. But he did. "You've become almost like a daughter as I see you in two sports daily. . ." I continue to read. The tears begin to fall. "I would love to dance with you at your wedding," was his last comment on the yearbook page. That dance took place four years later. He attended my wedding just as I had hoped and we danced our special dance. I'll never forget that, or the many memories we shared together. He had such a great impact on my life, one that will always remain. He made me see the best in myself. And whenever I'm feeling the way I was feeling that day on the track, my goals seeming so far away, I find myself thinking back to his pep talk and I feel renewed once again. His words will live on forever in my heart. And most importantly, so will he. 
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