Dear Teacher,
Do you remember me? It has been a while since I sat in your class. It has been a while since we sang those silly songs, and since you first began to instill in me a love for music. In retrospect, my time with you was brief, but as I have learned over the years, it is the not the quantity that counts, but the quality.
Though the memories may be vague, they are certainly some of my favorite. As I was lying in bed one night, crooning to myself a new choral piece I’m learning, my mind wandered back to my elementary school days in music class. Music was a portion of the school day we all anticipated with excitement. It was a time to have fun and to release all the energy we were forced to contain during a tiresome lesson on fractions or the painstaking process of long division. I can still recall many of the songs we sang: “Each of Us Is a Flower," “The Presidents Song," a song about pizza, another about a “peanut butter chocolate chip cookie,” “John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt” and a song we sang to celebrate the hundredth day of school – a hundred days which passed us by far too quickly. Above all, I remember the joy it brought to my heart.
Often we do not realize how great of an impact we have on others. Here I am, a freshman in college, and I still remember. Though my mind has been consumed with exams, work, and plans for my future, you still cross my mind from time to time. When I feel overcome with stress and anxiety, I find relief in these blissful memories. So thank you. Thank you for being a part of my childhood. Thank you for introducing me to the wonderful world of music. Thank you for the precious memories I hold dear to me and will continue to carry into my adulthood.
I may not remember every minute detail or every word to every song, but I will never forget the happiness you have brought to my life. What about you? Do you remember? Do you remember the fun times we had in that classroom? Do you remember the harmonious clash of young, untried voices? Do you remember the laughter and the magnificent smiles we wore so proudly upon our faces? If nothing else, please remember the impact you have made on myself and on countless others. Though your role in my life may appear rather trivial, it has provided me with lifetime of memories, and it has helped shape me into the woman I am today.
Sincerely,A Heart of Reminiscence
