Just two words we often forget to say.

The reasons to thank someone are often not clear until it’s way too late. The teacher understood you well enough to persevere, so I think that seeing you do well in college would have been thanks enough. She probably understood that you weren’t ready to actually say the words.

I really thought when I started reading this that she found your blog and so you wanted to tell her thank you.

How wrong I was……and there you go making me cry.

Very good post Lotus, she’d be proud, I’m sure.

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Thank you for reminding us to say it today.

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xx

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Thanks for the reminder. Why is it harder sometimes to say the really big thank-yous?

Badness Joness last blog post..Coming out of the closet….

Bravo!

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Choke, sniff. God woman. Thanks for making me cry at 330am. Way to share the hormones. (are you going to throw something at me for that?)

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Lord Lotus, between you and Rachel I’ve shed plenty of tears this morning.

I completely understand though. Being the self-centered, egotistical teenager that I was, I wish that I could go back cough twenty something cough years ago and thank my English teacher. He was wonderful. Pushed me without even me knowing, had faith in my when others didn’t. Then he was gone. Without saying those two simple words.

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Wow. Thank you, for sharing.

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Thank you Lotus! You have big heart!

I am willing to bet that she knew you’d get around to this, one day. You said “Thank you” a long time ago. You just didn’t know it.

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This touched my heart….reminding me so forcefully of the three words I never said – I love you – to my Mom – and she died without hearing them.
Thanks for the nudge – to say it – even if it sounds silly – I know I’m going to!

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Thank you for sharing. I read your posts almost daily. Sometimes you make me laugh, sometimes you make me cry. I’m always entertained. You are a talented writer.

Thank you.
—
I’m learning how to do this as well. Sucks that it takes regret to jump start it, yep. It took losing people close to me in the last few years to realize the importance of the thank yous and I love yous. I do try to make more of an effort, but it’s not always easy to get over yourself and reach out.

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She can still hear you. I’m sure she is smiling now as she reads your words. The best teachers are never fully appreciated until they have been out of our lives for many years. I still remember the ones who influenced me the most. Maybe I should thank them myself…

I hate crying at 8:50 in the morning!!!! This is a beautiful post.
Thank you!
We should all be more in tune with how such simple words and actions can affect the people we come in contact with, not just the people that know us but strangers, anyone that you cross just in passing. We make kindness and appreciation seem like two of the hardest things we have to do in our lives. I love it! Thanks again.

What a great post, Lotus. I’m sure when she got thru to you & you accelerated, that that was her Thank you. And, thank you for reminding us today

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omgosh – you hit me hard with this one. We just learned today that one of the little girls in Nathan’s grade has died of a sudden brain hemorrhage. She was 7. We are devastated. We are confused. We are helpless. Life is a beautiful gift. Hearty and yet fragile all at once.

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That was beautifully written Lotus. I think when we are kids, we just don’t have the emotional capacity to always know when to say thank you. It’s ok. I agree with your readers that seeing you succeed was her thank you.

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Holy crap, I’m crying now. I was a high school English teacher for 8 years and although I probably wasn’t near as wonderful as Mrs. Tester, I’d like to think I made an impact in some of my students’ lives. Thank you for this entry.

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Whoa, Lotus. *Thank you* for this post.

As a former teacher, just seeing kids do better is all the thanks we need. It is nice to hear ‘thank you,’ but not necessary.

She knew.

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Sounds like she taught you more than just writing. And something tells me she did know how important she was to you.

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One thing my mom drilled into me is the importance of the words “thank you”. More people need to remember them.

I say thank you so much, I catch myself saying it to the dog when he gets out of my way, or to the TV for changing the channel when I point the remote at it.

I think I need to dial it back

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Beautiful post. thanks for a valuable reminder to thank those who are important to us.

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second verse, same as the first:

Algebra teacher, Mrs. McBee, finally TAUGHT me how to get it right .. first A in math since elementary school, despite my honors in everything else..even took college alg in h.s. thanks to her beating it in by offering more than one way to solve a problem..but she was so old, so frail, so dotty, so far beneath my cool young fresh whatever attitude. I wrote her off, not un-kindly, but a nice fade where you struggle for their name and can just barely picture the location of the class.

Fast-forward a few years, I’m working on ESE text books for standard diploma at-risk kids..one of our Algebra writers? Mrs. McBee, same teacher. She died of cancer before they were published. I DID get to thank her before she was gone, by email, what a pussy-out, but I know hundreds of her students showed up to that funeral. I’m so glad she was part of the project, the books are very successful thanks to her writing.

Thank you Teachers Who Make a Difference

Fk you Apathetic Academics

Jeez, just when I started controlling the tears over Tuesday night’s euphoria you hit me with this. *sniff* Very lovely post. And thank you paige for bringing the laughter back, LOL!

She knows… ((hugs))

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Please and Thank You are often overlooked these days which is a travesty because I believe them to be the cornerstone of class and decency.

I too have had experiences when I omitted thanking people in my life who really mattered and made a difference. You never realize how truly important it is until it’s no longer an option.

Thank you for the reminder and for sharing your story,
Jason

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What an amazing post. And how true it is. Two simple words that we often forget to say to the most important people in our life. I know I ask my husband to do tons of stuff and it would be nice of me to thank him every once in a while!

Very touching post! I think it is a univesally acknowledged truth – that teenagers can be sh*ts. We’ve all been there, being snide and thinking we’re cool. She obviously saw through your facade, though. She knew you better then you did back then, and I’m sure she recognized the unspoken thank you.
What a lovely tribute to her.
You are a great writer.

BTW, congrats on the pregnancy. I’ve been reading for a while and was very pleased at your news. More from the gene-pool that created the cuteness that is Braden, yay!

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Well you went and did it, what is this wet stuff on my cheeks damn it!

found you through comment Luv, loved this post it is so true. The people that make the biggest difference we sometimes forget to thank.

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Oof, that is a devastating story. And a good reminder. Thanks for sharing…

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*sniff, sniff*

I think there’s a whole bunch of us who were a bit young and immature in high school… not quite grasping what’s right in front of us…

And even if she didn’t get to hear those 2 words back then, I’m sure she’s overjoyed to hear them from you now from above… *hugs*

You have thanked her more than a million times over with every beautiful word you write.

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that is so touching and a good reminder to show appreciation every chance we get.

thanks for sharing,
Giyen

Beautiful post.

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What a stunning post!! You have me in tears.

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Lotus… that was a great post… She knows now, how grateful you are for her. That is 2 words that need to be used more.

Lotus:

Beautiful post. As a former teacher, I know that students mock us…. I know that students resist…… I know that students are changed (even if they don’t want to admit it). She knew you were thankful.

And even if you were a bit late, trust me…. your tribute here today resonates with so many other teachers….. teachers who, even though the persevere, get burnt out by the process. Your words speak to them….. as they would me. So, thank you for writing your thank you, even if it is late. They serve to thank all the Mrs. Tester’s out there.

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I was just wandering around looking at blogs, and I thought this was such a great story. I had so many teachers who believed in me, even when I didn’t believe in myself. It makes me want to contact all of them and tell them how much I truely appreciated them (even though I thought at the time, there were so many more important things going on).

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*sniffle8

Thank you for sharing.

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I had a teacher in 11th grade who probably saved my life. I was so depressed and having horrible family problems at home. I just gave up. This teacher sat me down and told me I was a good writer and that college wasn’t that far away and I needed to get my act together. Just knowing that someone cared got me back on track. I’ve never thanked him, and I think about doing it all the time. I’m off to search for him RIGHT NOW so I can.
Twitter: momofali

Awww, Lotus. You’ve got me crying at 6:30 in the morning. I didn’t even think my lacrimal glands would be awake yet.

Maybe it’s a sense of of entitlement and evidence of my Narcissism – but I truly think that once we leave this world and go on to the next stage in our spiritual journey, God reveals many truths to us that we would have otherwise not known in our mortal life.

Mrs. Tester’s calling was to be the quirky, little English teacher who was easy to mock but difficult to discourage. Her persistence helped you to see that you have a true gift, and now look at you writing to the world and inspiring the rest of us to be better people!

I think Mrs. Tester now knows how much you appreciate her, and I’m sure she’s proud of the lady you have become.

my husband and i wont do things for each other unless we say please and thank you (well he HAS given me a break the last 2 weeks since the baby was born)…. but that all started more than a year ago, and we now do it to family members. its funny to see your husband withhold the last of the scrambled eggs while your brother squints his eyes and grits his teeth and finally says please. it always makes me want to say, now, was that so hard?

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[...] Thank you, Lotus, for this reminder. [...]