Tag Archives: Mr. Fish

Happy Birthday Mr. Fish

Better Living, Inspirational, , , , , ,

Today is my birthday. It is fun to see the nice things people can do for you. Modern technology has made it very easy to reach out to people. My wife will usually send me a very nice Facebook message with a picture of me. I think it very sweet of her. Many people will reach out to me with kind words.

One year one of the lunch ladies at my school saw a birthday post my wife sent me, then replied with her own message that read, “Happy Birthday and beware today! When I left to go to work I was surprised with two pieces of cake from my wife on the front seat of my car to take to work with another sweet note. She is so thoughtful. By the time I got to work I went from having a great day to a spectacular one.

When it was time for lunch to start the lunch lady made me a poster that said “Happy Birthday Mr. Fish with balloons. When each grade level was lined up waiting to get their food she said “make sure you say happy birthday to Mr. Fish today.” So out of 730 students at the school I think I heard Happy Birthday 900 times. When the fourth grade students came into the lunchroom they spontaneously started singing “Happy Birthday,” I was touched. It was very fun talking, and interacting with students.

I got to thinking about this experience when I realized how important it is to treat people how you want to be treated. Some of the students I talked to have never talked to me before, and several students wanted to give me a hug. Many years ago I decided to always give students respect even when you don’t feel they are respecting you. This simple act of kindness has paid off many times over. I love the students, and I know they love me.

The Power of Love

Better Living, Inspirational, Personal stories, , , , , , , ,

Several years ago my dad was a math teacher at East High School in Salt Lake City, Utah. I never heard him say he was going to work, He said “I am going to school.” May dad was originally going to be a dentist, and would have been an excellent one. His love was teaching, and he was great at making a difference in a child’s life. He decided to change his major to high school mathematics, and never regretted this decision.

Every year on the first day of school he would write his full name up on the chalkboard in bold letters Melvin Cottam Fish, the kids thought that was hilarious. There was usually a long line of students trying to get into his class every semester because everyone knew they would learn math effectively, and he cared.

One year he had two opposing gang members in the same class, things were getting out of control, and he knew he needed to do something fast. One of the things he did was change his classroom around so his desk would face the door. As students entered his classroom each day, in his mind he would call each student by name and say “I love you.” My dad realized there was power in the words he spoke aloud, and in his mind.

At my dads funeral there were a few students that came to pay their final respects to their beloved math teacher. One of them told my mom that they didn’t remember all of their teachers names however they remember where they sat in their math class, and knew Mr. Fish loved them. What a great tribute to my father at his passing. I know he must have been smiling and sending us more love in that moment.