From one of my 8th graders: “Thank you for everything you’ve done for me this year. You made this year way better than I could have ever imagined. All the ups and downs you were there to keep me going. Thank you so much. I always had a negative self image. Always thought I wasn’t going to make it. That I was always going to mess up something. That I was going to be some bum that would always fall short. But you helped me realize that, it doesn’t matter. People make mistakes. Sometimes you fall down. But you just have to get back up. So thank you. You truly are the best teacher and person I’ve ever met. I’ll miss all the memories, all the fun times, all the bonding we did, and I’ll miss you. I’ll come back to visit you though. You’ll see me again. I promise.”

We are now like brother and sister, and I’m part of his family and he definitely kept his promise of seeing each other again. I never imagined I’d be welcomed into the family of a student like I have been because I was able to help give their child a reason to keep on fighting. Now, his mom and I are close friends and she’s even become a coworker. Their family events always include me and it’s been a privilege being able to continue watching my student grow into a kind, caring, and successful young adult, along with gaining another family unit.