Nicole

In my 28 years of teaching I had about 2700 students pass through my classroom door. Many keep in contact for a year or so after graduation and less keep in contact longer. I have a handful of students well past college age who I still keep in touch with.

However, one student, Nicole, got under my skin, crawled through me straight to my heart and sat herself there like a naughty kid in the time-out chair. She wasn't poor or homeless or lonely or friendless, she just needed something that, apparently I had. A few times a week she'd appear at my door after school, to talk, or to ask questions, or for approval that she mattered, I think. 

She'd sit and stare, comfortable with the quiet as I would finish up some work...such a dear...a petite blond, with big brown eyes peering at me..silently. My prayer was always the same, "Please Lord help me say or do the right thing to help her."

You would think "cheerleader" if you saw her even today. Nicole is 32 now and this sweet young woman has seen more of life than most people have, and has been to "there" and back far too many times. She suffered her share of teenage angst and then had many years after high school seriously struggling to get her act together. And I mean, seriously. She'll write her own story about those years one day.

I wrote the above post on my blog about four years ago.  I think "one day" is now and she's begun to put her story together. I'm happy she's doing this.  Her road has been filled with more potholes, hairpin turns, road blocks and speed bumps than most of us could imagine.  She has a better "vehicle" now and it looks like she's taking better roads.  Stay tuned folks, I think this is gonna be good! :)