Dear Mr. Rai,

I know you remember me. Actually, there are a lot of things that I'd like to thank you for. You made me your class monitor and awarded me the privilege to such honor. Thank you for also providing us an education. Nothing beats that, huh? I sincerely thank you for that but I have a confession to make. Don't misunderstand me; I am not trying to unnecessarily dig up the past to get back at you. I mean, pfft, I am already over what had happened during 8th grade. However, I have a message for you. Despite being a good student, I was not a happy child.

Ahhh... perhaps, you don't remember what happened but let me remind you! I was at the peak of losing it all in 8th grade, I was being bullied to the point that I even reached out to you. However, your hands were covered with slime, I couldn't get hold of you and I was thrashed back to the earth. Suddenly, from that day onward, I "un-favorited" you from my list of favorite teachers.

I had always been a little overweight growing up-- I put on more pounds than the rest of my friends. I struggled to try to lose weight and I even suffered from eating disorders. An 11 year-old-child was traumatized every time she set her foot on the bus. Teasing and bullying continued as I held back tears. I used to remind myself that I was a strong girl, like my mother. One day, I snapped and that was when my aggression took a leap for the worse. I was constantly labeled as being violent and I latched myself onto that title. Being violent was my way of defending myself from those bullies. Deep inside, I was just a scared girl. I don't regret anything about me being violent during those years because by being so, I was able to save myself from a complete self-destruction.

I knew I didn't want to be that way. I just wanted to be free from the bullies. My mother took the initiative to talk to you regarding the bullying that went on in the class. Every time we talked about elephants, boys would torment me by associating myself to elephants. This is just one of the incidents. I stayed calm because I was simply tired. How long was I going to portray myself as an unfriendly violent person?

My mother came home fuming after having a talk with you. When she asked for your help--to at least acknowledge and stop the bullying from your side-- you said something that I can never forget to this day. You said, "I have never heard of that, therefore, I can do nothing about it." This alone, blew my mind! Just because bullying didn't happen within your vicinity in class, doesn't mean that I was never bullied. I went into depression and anxiety shortly after that. I still suffer from mental and psychological issues because it seemed that most of my childhood memories consisted of little boys calling me "fat" and "ugly". I hid all these problems deep within myself because I knew that nobody, including you, cared for me. I will be applying for graduate school next year and my childhood memories still haunts me to this day.

You were my last hope and you failed to save me. I broke down in tears as I walked to the bus stop. I was able to pull myself through another hellish day. Thanks to people like you, I never got to enjoy my childhood and I don't miss any of it.

Now that I am a teacher myself, I always make sure to go beyond to help my students succeed in life. I would never want my students to ever go through such kinds of bullying-- not in my class! Every word from my students matters to me. I am sure that you still teach. Like the rest of your former students, the students in your class are perhaps, very fond of you. If you really prove yourself to be a great teacher, then I suggest you help your student when they ask for help. A teacher's help for something as serious as bullying can really save that child.

Last week, a boy named Daniel Fitzpatrick took away his own life because a teacher couldn't do anything to stop the bullies in class. This letter's purpose is to let teachers from all over the world know about how serious the nature of bullying is. I survived but many don't. This letter is for your future students, students like me, who will reach out to you. Please don't let another child suffer from such a nightmare. I am sure that you have children of your own too, Mr. Rai. At least acknowledge and try to help as best as you can--from your side--to stop those bullies in class.

Bullying is real; only kids who are bullied truly understand how difficult their childhood is. Teachers, please help these kids with all that you can. I hereby, end my letter, Mr. Rai, by saying that I do not hate you and I have nothing against you but please don't say those words, that you said to me, to another bullied victim in your class. What does it truly mean to be a teacher? Consider asking that question to yourself. I hope you understand the intent of my open letter to you.

Your former student,

Sunayana Limbu