We will adapt.

It’s impossible to chose one. My greatest teachers have come from all of the country. From the high school English teacher that held me back one day to ask me if I was OK. My poetry and writing had become dark and she caught it. That’s a hero. To my friend who I met one night at 3 o’clock in the morning and I was extremely manic. I was so full of feeling and words and no one would listen. We met on an app that was a support group for people who struggle with mental health. He was a greeter and He sought me out. I had never been so manic and had all these conspiracies in my mind. I didn’t sleep. He was on his way home from Virginia in a hotel room with his head under the sheet so his phone won’t bother his wife and kids. I was so full of words. I was hurt I was recovering from trauma but I should’ve been in the hospital. I rambled, I threw my anger in his face. He saw who I was when I was not my best. But what blew my mind was that he listened. And he didn’t just listen he was involved in the conversation. He asked questions to show that he was paying attention. I had never had that before. To the friend far away who has taught me that I was worth something and that my marriage was not right. She taught me to respect and love myself. And now all of those friends are supporting me as I go through a painful divorce. You don’t have to be a teacher to teach. You just have to Love, LISTEN, and pay attention.