Dear Miss Clark (well, Mrs. Ward now),

I want to take a second to let you and everyone else know how much you mean to me. I never thought that a teacher would have such an impact on my life until I met you. You pushed me harder than anyone ever has, not just in school but in life as well.

I walked into your class, just a dorky, stubborn, and sassy seventh grader who hated to read. Don't get me wrong, I still hate to read. But you helped me find my passion. You made us write stories every week and I never once skipped an assignment. Writing helped me escape the bad things in life, and it is to this day the best outlet I have to express myself.

Honestly I had no confidence in middle school, but you kept telling me how talented I was and it gave me something to live for. After all the creative writing we had been doing in your class, I decided to take it a step further and try poetry. After writing some poems and realizing that they were pretty good, I decided that that would be my way to cope and I wanted to make a living by writing someday.

It's funny because I remember going through bad breakups and texting you to get your opinion on what I had written about it. You've always been extremely honest. Not just about my writing, but any time I ever came to you.

I appreciate that you are so blunt with me and you tell me what I need to hear. You're not afraid to tell me that I'm being immature or making unhealthy decisions. I know that it can't be easy to deal with me, but you do and I love you for that.

You're not just blunt, but you're actually pretty funny. You know exactly what to say to make me smile and not take life so seriously sometimes.

Most teachers don't keep in contact with students, but I'm happy that you are still in my life. Here we are, seven years later and you haven't missed out on any special parts of my life. Thank you for always being the one I could come to.

Your support has helped me through some of the toughest parts of my life. You were there when my grandma died, when I struggled with my depression, when I was doing badly in school, had dumb break-ups, and even after I attempted suicide. More recently, this year, I "came out" and not everyone was so supportive, but you made me feel more accepted than some of my family members.

I can't thank you enough for not giving up on me and showing me my worth. Truly, I wouldn't be the same person without you. We've shared laughs and tears and you've been one of the most influential people in my life. You've always been there for me, and now, I'll always be there for you.