Who was your most influential teacher? Why?
This question makes me smile as I think about Mrs. Baker the woman that noticed me and gave me a kind word, a smile or money to buy some lunch. Mrs Baker was our school Librarian. She has CP and kids often made fun of her. I loved this woman so much and would spend hours in the library. I don’t know if she knew about my home life but she sent me home on all the holidays with lots of books.
I won the award in the school for reading the most books. I could escape my horrible life reading all the adventures and dreaming that one day I could leave the home that I lived in. When I was an adult I looked her up and I thanked her for saving me from the hell of childhood.
She told me that she knew something was wrong but had no idea what it was. I told her how all that reading helped me become the woman I am today. A year later she died.
That is why I reach out to those who need extra love and care at school because all these years later I never forgot that. I’m blessed to having had her in my life. She was an amazing woman. ❤️
Beauty from Ashes. 