I have taught hundreds of bright students, but Reid was a standout. He wasn’t quite standing, though, when I first met him as a fifth grader in Lynnfield Middle School. He had just spent a summer in a body cast when Lorraine wheeled him in to see me. He was upbeat and friendly as always, and I remember admiring his enthusiasm and humor, in the face of a summer ordeal.
The education experts must have had Reid in mind when they coined the term “gifted and talented”. Academically advanced and highly capable, Reid possessed many gifts – musical and athletic – as well as multiple intellectual talents – verbal, mathematical, and leadership talents to name a few.
Yet, despite all of these considerable intellectual abilities, I will remember Reid most for the qualities that he possessed beyond his intellect. Reid had that Something, with a capital “S”, that Something that no on can quite put in worlds. It was that Something that put him beyond smart, beyond bright, and into the realm of uniqueness. What was It? What was the Something?
Maybe It was the strength of his will. As a child, he could devise a plan, harness the resources, and put that plan into action. (I think that he inherited this ability to move mountains from his mother!)
Maybe It was his keen perception of people and of the world in general, offered during those times when Reid and his friend would ask to have lunch in my classroom and stay in at recess to talk about “stuff”. It was a perceptiveness that I was acutely aware of. I’d see I in his face when he had that look that said, “I get it!!”
Maybe It was his wisdom – his quiet, sure wisdom – that could be mixed with a healthy dose of humor. I can still see him rolling his eyes in amusement over some of our classroom antics.
Maybe It was the fact that Reid was always true to himself. He knew who he was and knew this as an adolescent when NO ONE knows who they are. Sometimes, it takes a whole lifetime to figure that out.
May It was his unpretentious, kind, and caring nature. Reid did not wear his many achievements on his sleeve.
I can’t tell you exactly what It was. Maybe it was all of these qualities that came together in a unique and beautiful way.
All I know is that Reid had that Sparkle; he had that Something. In a room full of kings and queens, presidents, and power people, I have no doubt that Reid would still stand out.
I a world full of people, some of us were just born to fly. This is how I will remember Reid.