I woke up this morning thinking about teachers. I have a handful throughout my entire school career of whom I will forever be grateful to. It was these, who taught me it's OK to think outside of the box and who encouraged me to dig a little bit deeper when it came to...well, everything.
Mrs. Hollar and Mrs. Cheek were my 3rd Grade teachers. They were the very first who made me feel like I was something special. I'm not even sure what it is they did in particular. Perhaps it was simply their presence and how they seemed to empathize with my shyness Neither ever tried to change me via getting me to speak up more. They embraced my unbearable fear of talking in front of a classroom full of people by engaging me in the topics I was most excited about.
I have always been a lover of books and English. Also, from the age of zero, I have been a lover of cats. I will never forget the day that we had show and tell and I managed to dig up enough nerve to read one of my favorite children's books called "The Curious Little Kitten". I always dreaded show and tell because I didn't like to talk in front of people. I still don't. My knees lock, my throat dries up and I get this sudden urge to vomit.
I actually did vomit once.
But not that day. That day, I had the courage of Wonder Woman, knowing that because my two favorite teachers believed in me, I could accomplish any feat no matter how small or large it was in my world. I read the whole story to my classmates and I didn't mess up once. When I was finished, the whole class stood up and cheered "bravo, bravo" and clapped their hands until they hurt. And they tossed beautiful roses at my feet as I stood there grinning from ear to ear feeling elated at the experience of being so loved and adored.
This didn't really happen but it's how I prefer to remember it. In reality, I did read my story very well and
my best friend Megan even passed me a note later in class, exclaiming how she really enjoyed it. But outside of my teachers, this was the only praise I actually received.
It was enough.
It gave me a small bout of confidence that I had never felt before. It was a huge and memorable experience that I will forever be grateful to; more so, I will forever be grateful to the two teachers who stood by me and who not only believed in me and what I could accomplish, but helped me to believe in myself.
They were the first, but not the last. I had several teachers, mainly in high school and college, who helped me to push my limits. It takes someone very special to have enough dedication to do this. So many teachers don't get enough credit for what they do on a daily basis. I think many of them get dragged down by what's expected of them and become numb to the fact that they are helping to mold young minds. Some may even be apathetic, but now all.
And it's these that I remember most.
It's these minor few that helped create the person I am today. So thank you. Thank you Mrs. Hollar and Mrs. Cheek. Thank you Mr. Lackey and Mr. Nolan. Thank you Mr. Caldwell, Mrs. Wright and Mrs. Weaver. Thank you Heather Vaughn. You all hold a special place in my heart.
"It might have appeared to go unnoticed
But I've got it all here in my heart
I want you to know, I know the truth, of course I know it
I would be nothing without you"
Bette Midler "Wind Beneath My Wings"
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