My Mother Was my First Coach

When I was in elementary school, there was a time when I had a lot of difficulty with math. I don't remember the details anymore, but there was something I just could not figure out. Maybe I hadn't paid attention in class, maybe I had been sick and missed the teacher talking about it.

What I do remember is my mother helping me. You might think: Well, of course she would help you. She's a grown-up. You might assume that what I was struggling with was something she could easily explain. Actually, she couldn't. You see she had only had 7 years of elementary school herself, and did not know a thing about the kind of math we were learning.

So instead she asked me questions. And she kept asking and asking and asking, until my answers led me to figuring the math out.

She was a masterful coach. And she passed away on May 28, 2021 at the age of 88.