In memoriam

I just found out that a former English teacher of mine died. She was the first AP English teacher in my home county. The high school literary magazine she directed won national awards, as did she for her writing and teaching. She retired a couple of years ago, and education suffered a loss for her leaving. The world has suffered a loss with her passing, because she was a wonderful teacher but an even better human being. I was honored to call her teacher and even more so to call her friend. She helped me become the person and the writer that I am, and I will feel her imprint on my life until I die. She was the teacher who taught the creative writing class I described as a miracle a few entries ago. The first time I met her I was stunned by her aura, this radiant, bright yellow that seemed to fill half the room. It was like looking into the sun, and that is how I will always remember her, vibrant, glowing and beautiful.

The friends I made in that class have scattered, and I no longer know where they are. In a drawer in my jewelry box is a piece of a torn dollar bill whose other shreds went to the other students in that class. It was the last time we met as a group, several years after we'd graduated. We promised to meet again, and that dollar bill came out of our teacher's wallet. She tore it apart and passed it around as a reminder. I've seen a few of those friends individually over the years, and like me, they've regretted that we never made it all together again. I wish we were together tonight, and I wish we could raise a glass to our teacher, our inspiration, our mentor and our friend.

L, you were one hell of a lady.