Agent of Change: Remembering a Moment
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I recently reread journal entries from 2018. They took me back to a season that reminded me of something I never want to forget—not just what I love doing, but who I become when I’m doing it.
I met Heric, a 49-year-old Mexican man, through a friend of mine while I was living in Mexico. He had never learned to read or write, and she asked if I would teach him. So began our journey together. He spoke only Spanish, his language, and that’s all we used to communicate.
On the first day we met I asked him to dictate a sentence to me, which I wrote in the notebook we would be using:
Doy de comer al perro. (I feed the dog)
I read back his sentence. He couldn’t read a single word.
Another day I wrote:
Ana da de comer al perro. (Ana feeds the dog)
I wish I had a video of his face when I read, Ana. His face lit up as he exclaimed, ¡Ese es el nombre de mi esposa! (That’s my wife’s name!)
Then there was the day he wrote his wife’s name, Ana, without assistance.
And then the day he wrote his own name.
No longer signing with an X.
Powerful.
Then came the day he made the connection between letters and the sounds they represent—and suddenly, a whole new world opened up to him.
On day eight Heric read gasolina by himself!
Each lesson was a celebration. Each time we met brought perseverance, joy and hope.
Moments like this energize me. They remind me how much I love engaging with adults and children, walking alongside them as they learn to read and write.
As I reread what I’ve written, I realize it’s not that I need to remind myself what I love. I need to remind myself to do what I love—what I’m passionate about—because when I do, life makes sense.
Excitement rushes through me and lingers long after the lesson ends. I want to tell everyone what happened. I need to share it - to somehow extend the joy of what I witnessed.
It amazes me every single time. I never stop being astonished and inspired as I watch a child or adult light up with understanding.
In those moments, I’m witnessing more than someone learning to read and write. I’m witnessing a transformation in how a person sees themselves. Confidence begins to replace doubt. Possibility begins to replace limitation.
I am an agent of change.
There was a time when I would have balked at making such a bold statement about myself. I would have minimized it or dismissed it. Not today.
I’d love to hear your story. If one of these questions resonates with you, I’d love for you to share…
When was the first time you realized you had changed someone’s life, even in a small way?
What moment do you return to because it reminds you of who you are?
What truth about yourself took you years to accept?
If you did more of what energizes you, what might change?
What bold truth about yourself are you no longer willing to minimize?
Radical love,
Rachelle
