Everyone has that one teacher they think of when someone asks you, "Who pushed you the most?" They may have been from kindergarten or you may have not even had them in class. Whoever it is, this is a thank you.

Dear you,

Thank you for fueling a flame inside of me that not even I could see burning. Thank you for directing me and pushing me when I lost sight on what the goal was. Thank you for encouraging me when things got rough. Thank you for mentoring me and leading me into the right direction.

You spent countless time on me and many others because you saw the light in everyone. I know your job isnt easy and that we certainly didnt make it any easier on you, but you loved us anyways. Sometimes your classroom was the safe spot, even though you didnt know it was. It was a place where we could go in order to feel respected, to wind down, or to just know we would be able to laugh. Sometimes thats all you really need.

You guided us. You knew what was best for us and you werent afraid to say it. Sometimes we may have not wanted to hear it, but you knew we needed to. You always gave the realest advice and of course that is the best you can get.

Thank you for molding us into better people. You made us challenge ourselves and what we thought we knew. You made us ask questions about life, our views, and how we viewed the world. You encouraged deeper conversation even though we usually resorted to jokes.

You were an outlet. You allowed so many people to tell you about what was going on in their lives and you did it without judgement. You knew that even though you may have not been able to help, sometimes a listening ear is all you need.

Thank you for pushing me. Without you I may not be the writer that I am. You fanned the confidence and made it a fire within me. Thank you for lending a hand when needed. Thank you for being my biggest critic. Also, thank you for stepping back and letting me make my own mistakes sometimes.

Love forever,

Your student.