Member-only story
We all have people and events which influence our lives. Sometimes they are small, subtle, unnoticed and we are only able to identify and understand them much later on, if we are lucky. Other times they are grand and dramatic and easy to recognize. Some change us for the better, others for the worse, and if we are able to calmly reflect back through our lives with clear enough lenses we can spot and comprehend them. For me two such moments happened in your classroom. Both were quiet and understated when they occurred but both fundamentally altered the course of my life and my capacity to be the person I am today.
It’s important to note I was set up well in advance not only to have everything I could need to face the various challenges of my life but also to find a genuine home in your classroom by the bottomless and ceaseless love and support of my incredible parents. From my earliest memories they have embraced me for who I was, whoever I was, without hesitation and encouraged me to think, question, explore, and imagine to the stars and beyond. They still do. All thoughts and ideas are welcome and being happy, healthy, and whole have been the only conditions. Which is why I felt so at home in your class. Never in my entire academic career did my home and school worlds feel so completely and…