Holiday Gift

A friend shared this letter with me today.  It is beautiful.  It is the best gift a teacher could every get or want. This teacher was especially touched because her former supervisor was always putting her down, telling her what an awful teacher she was and how the kids did not like her.  We all need validation.  I was so happy she got hers I promised to share it here.

Ms. X,
I don’t know why it occurred to me to look for you on online now.
I have been thinking of you time to time but never imagined I could find you on world wide web.
I remembered your first name but have forgotten your last name so I couldn’t look for you until yesterday when I looked into my high school year book.
I was your student in late 80s and you knew me as Syo Lee
I’m not sure you will remember me by my name since you probably met many Korean students with similar names.
I was a shy student and spoke very little English.
You were my favorite teacher because you were gentle and kind.
You gave me a cookie once and I think it was Hamentashen now that I think of it.
You helped me to believe in me and not be afraid to show others what I am capable of.
Your gentle encouragement to come up and solve a problem felt that I was welcomed.
Your smile, gosh I still remember your big eyes and beautiful smile, made me feel like you believed I could do it.
Math wasn’t just a subject.
It was a language that let me talk to the world where people spoke different languages.
My peers respected me and interested to get to know me because I was good at Math.
That led me to enjoy my high school years in a foreign world that I just arrived.
You have done many mitzvoth. Thank you.
Looks like you are teaching in college now. Wonderful.
I am glad they have you as their math teacher.
I have become a hospital chaplain.
I recently moved from NYC to Dallas.
I used to serve as a director at a hospital in Manhattan.
I wish I thought of this back then.  I would have enjoyed seeing you once again.
It would be nice for us to reconnect.
I look forward to hear from you.
Shalom,