An Open Letter to my Favorite Teacher

Day 9/40

This one was hard to narrow down. I believe that everyone in your life is a teacher in their own right, even when they aren't trying to be. Your parents, friends, children, really everyone you coexist with in your life has a lesson to teach you. Even concepts like love, jealousy, and resistance can be teachers. But for the purpose of this letter, I decided to pick someone who first came into my life as a teacher, but turned into a friend (as all the best teachers do).

Dear Mrs.Karen,

As the humble person you are, you probably never expected to receive a letter like this. But trust me when I say that you deserve the recognition.

It was only a couple years that I took piano lessons from you, but as you know, those years were a turning point for me. I started high school, lost my grandma, and really my whole world seemed to flip upside down. If I'm being honest, I really didn't want to play piano anymore. I never practiced (and I know you could tell), I just really looked forward to sitting by the piano in my parent's living room with you.

You were a bright shining star. You always made me laugh and encouraged me to keep trying when I messed up. And as a perfectionist with no perseverance, I needed the gentle push. And while you knew I was in a tough spot in my life, I don't think you know just how tough it really was for me. I suppose that's a blessing, because I don't think your kind heart could have taken that burden.

But when I think back on that time in my life and I remember our times together, it's like a candle in the dark.

I remember the first week after my grandma died I was so excited to see you. I wanted to play for you but I physically just couldn't do it. I stared at that piano and you sat in a chair next to me like you always did. I remember that we talked, but I can't remember what about. And my mom came in and said, "I had a feeling this would happen."

It puts a knot in my throat every time I think about it. Your presence meant a lot to me in that moment.

I have a few of the notes written for me through the years hanging up in my room so that I'm reminded of your love for me every day. Every time I wake up and go to sleep, I see them hanging there and remember all of your encouragement and kind words.

Mrs.Karen, better than anything you could have taught me how to play, you have taught me so much about what it means to be strong by trusting in the LORD. You have experienced your fair share of loss, far more than my young mind could fathom even if I took the time to try. But you have an amazing ability to love people. You so admirably give yourself away to love every single day even though that same love has caused you the deepest pain you will ever experience. I watched you singing one day in the choir at church and asked myself how someone could still love God when He took everything away from her.

But that's just it: God is everything to you. And it is so clear in my eyes that he is.

So as I grow older, start a family of my own and have my own grandkids like you one day, I'm going to pray that God makes me more like you: I hope that when my times of suffering come, I can remember that God is everything; worth so much more than anything I can have on this side of Heaven. And I know that'll make all the difference.

I love you now as I'm writing this, and now as you're reading it.

-Bekah

P.S. The videos you post on Facebook of you playing the piano make me cry (in a good way).