That feeling when your closest teacher leaves is indescribable - you feel naked without her. Who are you going to talk to about your struggles with physics or that one teacher that yelled at you or the first job you got? You go to her class by default, hoping to see her smile and catch up with her on missed days, but then you feel crushed when you don’t see her there. All that you see staring back at you with haunting eyes is a cold, empty, lifeless seat. That same seat that was filled with warmth, joy, and kindness just a month ago. You lose your confidant, mentor, and teacher all at once, and it leaves you heartbroken. You see this person every single day, probably more than you see any of your friends or your own siblings, so you grow to consider this person as someone important in your life. And when she leaves, you are left to pick up the broken pieces of a beautiful friendship.
You can’t stop thinking about all of your memories together - the time when she taught you chem in between interviews at an awards weekend or the time when you sat in her storage closet all day working on a project or the time when you spent an hour talking to her after curriculum night even though you had a test the next day. Those are the memories that you will never forget.
And you hate yourself now, because you wish you had just spent a little more time with her, even a minute more. You wish you had paid just a little more attention in her class. You wish you hadn’t grumbled when she gave you a project. You took her class for granted, because little did you know that in a couple of years, she would be leaving. You refuse to believe that she could just leave you like that; you say, “No that can’t be her. She would never do this to me.” After confirming several times that she is indeed leaving, you wanted so badly to be mad at her. You wanted to yell at her and scream and tell her to not quit. You feel helpless because you can’t make her come back. You are frustrated that she is leaving, but you know you are being selfish by asking her to stay. You know that she has to leave, and it is better for her sake if she leaves, but you just couldn’t help feeling a tinge of anger and sadness.
Saying goodbye is the hardest thing you will ever have to do, but in the end, you are very thankful for the time, dedication, and effort that she invested in you. You are thankful for the years that you did get to spend with her. And although she is leaving, she will never be forgotten - you will never consider her as your former teacher, but rather your lifelong teacher, for she taught you the most important lesson: to never quit and to put your whole into everything you do. So, if you ever have to say farewell to a teacher, don’t be afraid to be sad and angry, but just remember that you haven’t lost her forever.
