Dear Teacher,

You gave me hope when I thought all hope was lost.

I was going through really rough times and struggling to keep my head up.

Going through the emotional stages of being a teen and having mental disorders is hard, but you helped me through it, even if you didn’t know it.

Every day after school, I would go home and convince myself that my life was going to forever be dreary and sad.

But the next day, I would walk past your classroom and you would stop me and talk. Just casual conversations, but ones that made me smile and laugh.

You gently poked fun at me and always asked me how I was.

Those don’t seem like important details, but to me, they are.

Your smile and energy always brightened my mood.

I took your class freshman year, so I no longer have you, but we still remain close.

These were all little things, but then one day you said something I will never forget.

One day during our casual conversations, you stopped me and said that even though I wasn’t one of your students any more, I made you want to be a better teacher.

You told me that I was one of the reasons you got out of bed and came to work every day.

You told me that I always have a smile on my face, regardless of how I was truly feeling.

When you said these things to me, I knew.

I knew that life wasn’t some hopeless string of boring and depressing events.

I realized that even though I was struggling, that I would get through it all.

I finally understood that I truly had someone who cared for me even though they only had me for a semester.

Even though I could have a really bad day, I knew the next day would be better. And I knew that because of you.

You have truly inspired me to be a good person and to always be good to others, no matter my feelings.

I can never thank you enough for what you have done for me, but I will thank you as many times as I can.

Thank you so much to the teacher who gave me hope, Mrs. Amy Graham.