Miss K: Thank You

During my childhood, I had very few people that I could depend on to be my support system. As I have stated in other articles, I went through a lot of trauma in my childhood that resulted in me not being very trusting with other people, developing some unhealthy habits around relationships or else not being able to “see” the red flags. I often tried to find people who gave me even the slightest bit of kindness; that only resulted in my getting used by others for selfish gain. One person that I could depend on to be my shoulder to cry on was my English teacher, for the sake of privacy I am going to refer to her as Miss K.

I needed a reliable, mother figure in my life since my mother was too busy working to even meet my emotional needs. Miss K was my elementary school French teacher until high school and then she became my English Literature teacher before she retired when I entered Grade 12. She was one of the many reasons that I still pushed on to continue with school even though I was pretty much an outcast. Doctors who diagnosed me doubted that I would even graduate high school at the age of 18. Thanks to Miss K, I could be vulnerable with her and she would never tell me to “get a thick skin.” I could tell her anything and she would never judge, only validate my feelings no matter how extreme they would be. She was, and continues to be, the type of woman I aspire to be.

She saw how I was being treated at the school and made sure that my mental health got the attention that it needed. She also called out anyone who bullied me in her classroom and saw how corrupt the school was for not properly supporting me. She inspired me to look deep into every person’s intentions and to stand up for myself, and others, when an injustice happens. She was passionate about every cause she was a part of, and so I became that and want to encourage others to pursue their passions. She also encouraged me to sharpen my writing craft even if everyone else discouraged me from pursuing it; she was the one to tell me how to not only improve it but to keep growing as a writer. She recognized that I had something important to share with the world.

I have not seen Miss K for over 10 years now and, if I had the chance back then, I would’ve thanked her for everything. She might come across this “open letter” some day. I do hope that she realizes how much of an impact she made on me and who I am today. From when I was a little girl to a teenager at the brink of adulthood, she led me down the path that I am on today. I want to thank her for that and so much more, for being my anchor when I had no one in my childhood that I could turn to for help.This would lead to to where I am today, writing for many places like Vocal and currently writing my first ever novel.

It is a massive privilege to even have a support system during your childhood, especially for disabled children. Society would gladly throw people like me away if it wasn’t for people like Miss K that believed in me from day one. She is a hometown hero because she believed in everyone's potential; and always stood alongside the marginalized. No one saw her the way I did, everyone else seemed to dislike her because of either her teaching style or that she stood by everything she believed in and made no apologies for them. She saved my life every day that she walked into that school and, as far as I know, she is literally saving lives or else living her best life in retirement.

If you would be so kind as to share this with your family and friends, any kind of interaction is most appreciated.