I got this email today, from a friend with whom I attended middle school and who now teaches at that school, regarding my former teacher who passed away:
What I wanted to let you know was that two weeks ago, I had stopped by Linda’s room for a visit. She was in good spirits and began sharing with me one of the newest reflection journals she had been putting together. The journal contained little sayings and photos of things that were inspirational to her–she said that they were things that were helping her stay positive. From there, our discussion turned to teaching (something that is a favorite subject for both of us), and we discussed the fact that working with such wonderful students is, in and of itself, one of the biggest positivity-boosts around. This led her to mention you–she said that you had written her the most beautiful email about your career and about her influence on your life. She read me an excerpt and told me how much she treasured hearing from you. I suppose I just wanted to let you know that your email was one of the bright spots for Linda in what must have been a very difficult couple of weeks prior to her passing. I hope, even with this difficult news, that you can feel some joy in knowing about the joy you brought her with your letter.
Wow. Just … wow.
