It is the end of the school semester for me and usually this is the time of year when I’m aggravated and disappointed in my students. This is the time of year when I can’t wait for break. And that is why I wanted to take Thanksgiving day to express my gratitude for being a teacher.

I can’t begin to describe what a blessing this job has been to me. It has allowed me to fill my life with a passion. A passion for books, a passion for writing, and a passion for sharing this passion. I’m so grateful that it only requires me to be out of my home 15 hours a week. But mostly, I’m so thankful that the Lord has given me the opportunity to touch so many lives. My students are each blessings that come into my life and fill my heart. I love them all for their unique spirits and bottomless potential. They remind me everyday to live life to the fullest and to appreciate the things I have. They inspire me as much as I hope I inspire them.

I’m grateful that every day I have the opportunity to introduce somebody to Shakespeare, Dickinson, Plath, Homer, Dante, et al. I’m lucky to be able to see some face come in and with anger, love, passion in their eyes tell me that they are so upset that Aeneas left Dido without saying goodbye. To see the recognition wash over their faces as they realize that Shakespeare was not writing about some obscure guy in Othello, but he was writing about EVERYBODY’s need to be loved, and accepted. THAT is powerful!!

I’m blessed to know these students. To know about their dreams, their hopes, their plans for the future. I’m lucky that they share these aspirations with me and for a fleeting semester I get to ride along with them as they plan their life. They are each uniquely beautiful and like painted eggs their future is delicate and glorious. They stand on the precipice of their destiny. Some will grab hold with passion and desire and seek out success. Others will languish, and falter. As a teacher it is my responsibility to help those that languish. To hold out my hand and pull them close to my heart and tell them what lies ahead. Those that know their future don’t need my help. It is those that are lost that need me the most.

I am a teacher and I could not be more thankful.