new church life : may / june 2016
The lasting nature of her relationships went both ways . A kindergarten student from 50 years ago remembered that “ every time she saw me afterwards , even as late as this fall of 2015 – she gushed when she saw me and asked how I was doing . She had that Mr . Rogers quality of making one feel valued and special . Some felt it was overly dramatic or sappy but it really felt so good ; it went so against the negative opinions I had of myself . It makes me happy to imagine her being welcomed in the next world and being gushed over and adored – a blessing back for the way she treated others .”
Mary Lou reminds me of a book I read years ago by Pat Conroy , a great writer who passed away just after she did in March . Conroy is better known for The Great Santini , The Lords of Discipline and The Prince of Tides than My Losing Season . What made that book so memorable is that it is not just about playing basketball at The Citadel , but is the story of a young man learning about himself . It is about all the teachers and coaches – the Mary Lou Williamsons of his experience – who helped him to find the values and truth he could believe in . It is about those transforming moments of discovery that happen between a great teacher and student – and forever leave a mark on both .
Conroy describes a formative experience at Gonzaga High School , where an English teacher named Joseph Monte fanned the flame of a budding writer by making him first a passionate reader . He gave Conroy a list of 100 great books he should read before going away to college .
Conroy met the challenge and forever loved him for it . He wrote : “ The great teachers fill you up with hope and shower you with a thousand reasons to embrace all aspects of life . I wanted to follow Mr . Monte around for the rest of my life , learning everything he wished to share or impart , but I didn ’ t know how to ask . All I knew was , I was not the same boy who walked into Gonzaga that previous fall .”
Miss Mary Lou ’ s “ children ” all know the feeling . ( BMH )
Joy and Dan McQueen joy and dan mcqueen : the ambassadors
Joy Synnestvedt McQueen passed on to the spiritual world on March 11 – exactly 16 years after her beloved husband Dan had left this world . All those years she was a widow people still thought of them together because that ’ s the way they lived their lives .
She never actually fulfilled her dream of becoming a New Church teacher , but that didn ’ t stop her from living the role – from heading the religion lessons program for isolated children throughout
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