To a very special teacher (I)

Thank you.

So much.

Thank you for treating me like your daughter. I know you don't have children of your own, so maybe that's why you can care for us this much. Or maybe you only treat me like your daughter cuz people who know both of us say that I look like you. A lot... Whichever way it is, thank you for just being there for me.

You know, when I first came into this school, you were the first person I met. Literally. I remember, daddy and mommy brought me to school, and we got out of the car, and were greeted by this sea of white. I remember, cuz I was thinking about how intimidating this place was gonna be: Top students, top teachers, top grades, top everything, and I'm just gonna be buried under all of this.

And then we went to the general office, to ask for my class. But before we even got there, I remember this very nice lady came towards us. I remember her loving smile, her perfume, her motherly aura. Then she asked me which class I was from, and I said I didn't know. Then she helped me squeeze to the front of the whole crowd, and came back with a delighted face. Turns out I was gonna be in her form class. Then we said goodbye to mommy and daddy, and she led me to the quadrangle, where all of my future friends are.

I remember how I felt that almost weird kind of closeness to her. And so from the very start, I liked her. :)

Then as the days turn into weeks, and the weeks turn into months, I liked her even more. I remember when I got elected as class chairman for the second half of the year, she told me that I would do a fantastic job. But somehow, whenever I am at the front of the class, I felt that she was never happy. Never happy with what I said, what I did, what I didn't do. And I was scared, cuz for the previous monitor, I felt that she was always smiling when class discussions went on.

Thank you for taking time out to just talk to me, regardless whether or not I had anything to say. You are the Head Of Department, and I know that you are no stranger to being busy, but you still took time off to talk to me over a very long lunch. And you never seem to get impatient, and tell me that you have more important things to tend to. Thank you for making me feel important.

I remember, at the end of the year, you had an extra long lunch with me. And you told me what a great job I did, as a chairman, as a student, as a person. And you told me so much about yourself. Though in primary school I had a few favourite teachers, I've never felt so comfortably close to a teacher ever. We talked, or rather, you talked, and I listened. I was never a talker, and especially with teachers, I really prefer to be the listener.

My close friends should, and will know, I tend to not let go of many things. So there are tons of stuff that I just keep to myself. Even my family doesn't know. I don't know, I guess I just don't like sharing my thoughts, my feelings, my real life. But you made it so comfortable for me to just say those things, and share the burden with you. But I was, and still am, fully aware that if I tell you those things, I will be burdening you. And so I didn't say anything, but you realised, and before long, you had known many things that no other soul on this planet knows. And it's weird, cuz thinking about it, you're my teacher.

And you know what, it felt so good after talking to you and I don't even know why. Maybe it's cuz I had finally found an avenue for me to just let go and pour my feelings out. But I don't want you to know any more of these burdening things, simply cuz I think you already have enough on your mind.

I went home and told mommy about the long talk. But I didn't tell her what the content of the talk was. And she said that you are a special teacher. She said that in her so many years in the education industry, the number of teachers like you can be counted by just 1 hand. You're special, mommy said, and she told me to treasure you. <3

And I do. I really do.

So thank you for being who you are.

Thank you.

So much.