Ms. Williams was my elementary school teacher. She stood about 5 feet tall, and had this beautiful voice that commanded attention. She would encourage the kids who seemed to struggle with their school work and she would push the students who did well, to do better. I was one of those students who liked learning and she motivated me to be better than I thought I could or should. She gave me confidence to be myself and not follow the crowd. When I think of her I am reminded that great things can come in little packages. She was an inspiring person who lead me to believe I could do anything I set my heart to.

Mrs. Showalter was my middle school teacher and she looked like Farrah Fawcett from Charlie’s Angels, one of my favorite prime time shows. Mrs. Showalter was one of the kindest and most soft spoken people I had ever known. When I think of her I think beauty and brains. She, too, showed her care for her students in nurturing their skills and talents. Because of her, my passion for words and writing remain today. I remember talking with her sometimes after school and learned she wasn’t able to have children of her own. Though I think she would have been an awesome mother, I think God put her in our school to mother and nurture those who needed it. She was also an example of how to nurture others for those of us who would go on to become parents and nurturers, ourselves.

Having these women in my life as an extension of my own family has been a blessing never to be forgotten.