Sharing the Gift of Gratitude From My View
It's been a while since I've sat down to share a few thoughts via the From My View blog. However, recently, I received a gift that almost brought me to tears. Yes, I — a 52-year-old superintendent of the Ladue School District in the state of Missouri – was on the verge of tears because of a gift.
Before you start imagining a trip to Hawaii or a brand-new car, let me set the record straight: it was a pen. To be precise, the gift was a wooden pen snugly encased in a leather holder. Yes, a pen. Your natural reaction might be, "Why would a pen bring you to tears?"
Years ago, when I worked in another school district, a guest speaker named John O’Leary shared his remarkable story with us. I use the term remarkable because, in reality, John’s story is remarkable but came about through a horrific accident. Many of you know John — he burned 100% of his body at the age of nine. He grew up in the St. Louis area, living in an area very close to Ladue. During his visit, I was profoundly moved by his story, his resilience, and his fight to live. I was captivated by his message of love and the incredible power one individual holds in saving someone’s life — even that of a nine-year-old burn victim who held a gas can as it exploded, engulfing him in flames. John has taught me and so many others the life lesson of… The Power of One!
From that moment of listening to John for the first time, I got to know him over the years. In Ladue, we have our staff participate in a professional development activity at our New Teacher Orientation. We ask new teachers just getting to know each other and current staff to find a "common" with the belief that all individuals share a common somewhere and somehow. We actually watched a fun video about people visiting with each other in, of all places, a ball pit, which I've linked here for you to watch if you wish. Different individuals from all walks of life take turns sitting in the ball pit with a partner and find their common as they talk. If John and I were in a ball pit together looking for our common, it would be the fact that our fathers both suffered from Parkinson's. That connection has created a bond as we have stayed in contact periodically throughout the years. I'm proud to call John a friend.
This past year, John came and spoke to the staff in the Ladue School District as my special guest. His task was to help us kick off our school year. Since becoming the superintendent in Ladue, I've never brought in a guest speaker, but I teamed up with our Ladue Education Foundation to sponsor bringing John in to speak with our faculty. Needless to say, there wasn't a dry eye in the house as John captivated our entire district, making the Power of One not just a concept but a mission in our lives. While John’s message resonated with all of us, he played the piano, showing us what is possible when people believe — believe that a boy with no fingers can learn to play the piano and, as an adult, dare to play a song in front of an auditorium of people.
Okay, I digress a bit, but I could honestly write on and on about John’s influence on me – back to the gift.
I have an inbox on my desk, and I go through the incoming mail daily. Yes, I still do get some snail mail. Today, I had a bubble-wrapped package on my desk. It was red, like Rudolph’s nose, instantly getting my attention. Like a kid opening up a birthday gift, I ripped it open to find a wooden pen with a note.
The essence of John’s note was an encouragement to remind me to push through challenging times and embrace them. John made reference to Hall of Fame broadcaster Jack Buck and what Mr. Buck had done for John after he was burned so badly and his fingers literally were damaged beyond repair. Jack Buck’s selfless and creative leadership and connection to St. Louis Cardinals baseball pushed a nine-year-old John to write again and eventually learn to play the piano – one leader's determination changed John’s life trajectory, and I believe you could argue that it saved his life.
Now you see why the gift of a pen brought tears to my eyes. John O’Leary, who has already given me so many gifts in allowing me to hear and learn from his story, is now giving me a gift of not just a pen but, in a sense, a piece of who he is. He thanks me for what I have done for him over the years! I would have to steal a line from John, “Are you freaking kidding me?” The pen being hand-carved from wood salvaged from a Chicago fire from 1871 truly left me speechless, as a fire came so close to ending John’s life, but as John would tell you, he would not change a thing!
Although this blog entry is nothing compared to the gift that John gives to everyone who has ever heard him speak, I hope this entry provides some guidance to all this holiday season — the season of gratitude. What gifts do we plan on giving our loved ones, friends, and colleagues? Perhaps the best gifts are not the ones of incredible monetary value or the ones delivered late in the evening by the Amazon truck, but just maybe they are the ones that have the greatest impact of love sprinkled in with lessons of humility and kindness that allow us just a brief glimpse into a person seeing their spirit and their heart.
As you may remember, I mentioned my dad had Parkinson’s. My dad, Dennis Wipke, Ladue Horton Watkins High School Class of 1961, actually passed away roughly five years ago after a 29-year battle with the disease. This year, my wife, Jennifer, pulled my father’s favorite shirt out of a box in the basement. It is a plaid Pendleton he wore when he went to Ladue High School. It was apparently the all-the-rage in the late 1950s. This shirt meant so much to him that we found he had saved it in a box with his army uniform and Ladue letterman jacket. The fact he saved this shirt is a blog for another time, but it is directly connected to his mother. My wife took his Pendleton shirt to a family friend who is super talented in the area of arts and crafts. She converted the shirt into several key chains made out of the cloth for all of our children and their cousins on my side of the family. I can promise you the fact that my children and their cousins will get a piece of something that meant so much to my father will be the most talked-about gift under the tree this year!
Thank you, John, for teaching me yet another valuable life lesson! The true gifts in life are when you can give a little bit of yourself to someone else!
For those of you who would like to learn more about John O’Leary, his story is being made into a movie right here in St. Louis. It should be hitting theaters soon! You can also read or listen to his #1 National Bestselling book, On Fire.
I appreciate you reading this blog entry and hope it has impacted you, as receiving the pen did for me.
I wish all of Ladue and each and every one of you a wonderful Winter Break and happy holidays!
Jim
Before you start imagining a trip to Hawaii or a brand-new car, let me set the record straight: it was a pen. To be precise, the gift was a wooden pen snugly encased in a leather holder. Yes, a pen. Your natural reaction might be, "Why would a pen bring you to tears?"
Years ago, when I worked in another school district, a guest speaker named John O’Leary shared his remarkable story with us. I use the term remarkable because, in reality, John’s story is remarkable but came about through a horrific accident. Many of you know John — he burned 100% of his body at the age of nine. He grew up in the St. Louis area, living in an area very close to Ladue. During his visit, I was profoundly moved by his story, his resilience, and his fight to live. I was captivated by his message of love and the incredible power one individual holds in saving someone’s life — even that of a nine-year-old burn victim who held a gas can as it exploded, engulfing him in flames. John has taught me and so many others the life lesson of… The Power of One!
From that moment of listening to John for the first time, I got to know him over the years. In Ladue, we have our staff participate in a professional development activity at our New Teacher Orientation. We ask new teachers just getting to know each other and current staff to find a "common" with the belief that all individuals share a common somewhere and somehow. We actually watched a fun video about people visiting with each other in, of all places, a ball pit, which I've linked here for you to watch if you wish. Different individuals from all walks of life take turns sitting in the ball pit with a partner and find their common as they talk. If John and I were in a ball pit together looking for our common, it would be the fact that our fathers both suffered from Parkinson's. That connection has created a bond as we have stayed in contact periodically throughout the years. I'm proud to call John a friend.
This past year, John came and spoke to the staff in the Ladue School District as my special guest. His task was to help us kick off our school year. Since becoming the superintendent in Ladue, I've never brought in a guest speaker, but I teamed up with our Ladue Education Foundation to sponsor bringing John in to speak with our faculty. Needless to say, there wasn't a dry eye in the house as John captivated our entire district, making the Power of One not just a concept but a mission in our lives. While John’s message resonated with all of us, he played the piano, showing us what is possible when people believe — believe that a boy with no fingers can learn to play the piano and, as an adult, dare to play a song in front of an auditorium of people.
Okay, I digress a bit, but I could honestly write on and on about John’s influence on me – back to the gift.
I have an inbox on my desk, and I go through the incoming mail daily. Yes, I still do get some snail mail. Today, I had a bubble-wrapped package on my desk. It was red, like Rudolph’s nose, instantly getting my attention. Like a kid opening up a birthday gift, I ripped it open to find a wooden pen with a note.
The essence of John’s note was an encouragement to remind me to push through challenging times and embrace them. John made reference to Hall of Fame broadcaster Jack Buck and what Mr. Buck had done for John after he was burned so badly and his fingers literally were damaged beyond repair. Jack Buck’s selfless and creative leadership and connection to St. Louis Cardinals baseball pushed a nine-year-old John to write again and eventually learn to play the piano – one leader's determination changed John’s life trajectory, and I believe you could argue that it saved his life.
Now you see why the gift of a pen brought tears to my eyes. John O’Leary, who has already given me so many gifts in allowing me to hear and learn from his story, is now giving me a gift of not just a pen but, in a sense, a piece of who he is. He thanks me for what I have done for him over the years! I would have to steal a line from John, “Are you freaking kidding me?” The pen being hand-carved from wood salvaged from a Chicago fire from 1871 truly left me speechless, as a fire came so close to ending John’s life, but as John would tell you, he would not change a thing!
Although this blog entry is nothing compared to the gift that John gives to everyone who has ever heard him speak, I hope this entry provides some guidance to all this holiday season — the season of gratitude. What gifts do we plan on giving our loved ones, friends, and colleagues? Perhaps the best gifts are not the ones of incredible monetary value or the ones delivered late in the evening by the Amazon truck, but just maybe they are the ones that have the greatest impact of love sprinkled in with lessons of humility and kindness that allow us just a brief glimpse into a person seeing their spirit and their heart.
As you may remember, I mentioned my dad had Parkinson’s. My dad, Dennis Wipke, Ladue Horton Watkins High School Class of 1961, actually passed away roughly five years ago after a 29-year battle with the disease. This year, my wife, Jennifer, pulled my father’s favorite shirt out of a box in the basement. It is a plaid Pendleton he wore when he went to Ladue High School. It was apparently the all-the-rage in the late 1950s. This shirt meant so much to him that we found he had saved it in a box with his army uniform and Ladue letterman jacket. The fact he saved this shirt is a blog for another time, but it is directly connected to his mother. My wife took his Pendleton shirt to a family friend who is super talented in the area of arts and crafts. She converted the shirt into several key chains made out of the cloth for all of our children and their cousins on my side of the family. I can promise you the fact that my children and their cousins will get a piece of something that meant so much to my father will be the most talked-about gift under the tree this year!
Thank you, John, for teaching me yet another valuable life lesson! The true gifts in life are when you can give a little bit of yourself to someone else!
For those of you who would like to learn more about John O’Leary, his story is being made into a movie right here in St. Louis. It should be hitting theaters soon! You can also read or listen to his #1 National Bestselling book, On Fire.
I appreciate you reading this blog entry and hope it has impacted you, as receiving the pen did for me.
I wish all of Ladue and each and every one of you a wonderful Winter Break and happy holidays!
Jim
