To my Teachers

I have no idea where to begin with this. I don't know who will read this or who will ever see it, but here we go. 

Since this whole idea of writing was encouraged by a sweet sweet friend and teacher of mine, I thought I would write this one just for them, my teachers, because no matter what, they will never, ever know how much they mean to me. 

Dear Teachers Superheroes, 

I genuinely love learning, so I genuinely love going to school (shhhh. Don't tell anyone!). It doesn't feel so much like a chore to me. Don't get me wrong, a loud alarm at 6 A.M. is one of the last sounds I ever want to hear, but when learning isn't such a struggle, I truly enjoy it. Learning is so easy and always, always, always fun when the person teaching you loves teaching you. 

I've grown a ton spiritually, physically, mentally, and however else-ally since I've started School (obviously), and I've spent many, many of those days (gazillions it seems) sitting at a desk in your classroom. Some days, I've spent more time around you guys than I have my own family. I've seen the sacrifices you make. Because when you're teaching all day, staying after school to help this struggling student, doing this for this child, supporting the club you sponsor, coaching your team to victory...You are spending more time with us than you are with your own family too...I also just recently found out you have to buy the paper you print our work on (Geez. I feel so bad), and you put up with the rudeness of lazy students who don't care every single day. Thank you for all of that. Thank You for the sacrifices you make so that I can one day impact the life of someone like you have me. 

Thank You for loving us enough to work your hardest always. So often, We don't deserve your hard work, We don't deserve your love. I am so so guilty of this. So often, I sit and gripe and complain about this or that, or how awful this teacher is, or how this teacher did that. I hear what other people say about how they hate your class, or they hate you. I know that you hear that too, and I want to say I'm sorry. So, so sorry. 

I also want to Thank You for your dedication. When I started High School, I was crazy amazed by the devotion I witnessed in my teachers on the first day. Each and every one of them was dedicated to their job, a dedicated to the students they barely knew, dedicated to their school, and most importantly dedicated to The Lord. Thank you for your dedication. 

Thank you for always being there. Whether I needed help with my writing, or with a math problem. Or even if I just needed to talk and I didn't know where else to turn, thank you for listening. That means so much. Because that, you are not paid to do. 

 

Thank You for your Prayers. It truly means more than you know when you pray for me. I have had teachers who would sit there and hold my hand and pray with me about whatever I needed. Those same people and more I knew prayed over us each and every day. I know that has to mean so much to that child that no one else prays for. That light he sees in you by the way you continually share the love of The Lord through your actions, may be the only way he gets to experience God's goodness, His love, and His grace. 

Thank You for my at school closet...Your Classroom. Thank You for keeping my projects behind your desk, or in your closet. Thank You for watching my computer when I had a project to work on and needed to bring it. Thank You for letting me store my clothes I needed for after school. All of it. It means so much to me and my arms. 

Thank You for talking about Grey's Anatomy with me and complementing my projects and coloring sheets. I'm not one bit athletic, but I love to draw and color and write...and I love to watch Grey's. When you take enough of an interest in me to talk about those things, it makes my heart so so happy. 

Thank You for encouraging me to dream and for believing in me every step of the way. Even when I felt totally and completely defeated. When I thought that I was constantly failing The Lord because I was slacking and my grades weren't as high and I told myself I was worthless because I would never be a doctor. You believe in me. And the cool thing about that- You know the grades as well as I did. You know the tests, You know the worksheets, You knew it all. So in that way, that is so so completely different than a parent or a family member believing in me. Because, they don't know the work. You know it forwards and backwards, you know whats ahead. Yet, you will always, always, always tell me I can do it...and you mean it.

Thank You for the Joy your students get to experience in your classroom. I love Joy. Joy is my favorite thing. Because, you can always always choose joy. It's not based upon circumstances, it comes straight from The Lord. Thank you for chasing that for kids that don't know to choose it. Experiencing God's joy is one of the greatest things. 

Thank You, Thank You a billion times Thank You. I try to say that to you often, but I know I don't often enough. Thank You. Because I've seen the sacrifices you make. You do that so one day I have the opportunity to touch someone else's life just like you have mine. 

When I grow up, I want to be so much like each of you (as a Doctor, of course).

I love you lots, 

Elle💚
P.S. I wish I had pictures with each of you, but those that aren't pictured here still hold such a sweet place in my heart.