The Teacher Who Cared Mx Barret, rom 501, rom 51 I repeated to myself as} snned the hallways looking for the room number. [was iy fist day of fith grade and I as really scared. Teame to the end of the hall and found an open door tepping into the room, I suddenly felt out of place. I tred toact normal but Mrs, Baro saw right through me ‘Good moning, Courtni, You may pick your se 1 glanced about the room and took an empty seat neara girl named Wendy Barber. As the year slowly progressed, Wendy and I became good friends. felt no closeness t Mrs, Barrow, though. saw her as “ust another teacher: Mrs, Barrow had us write a paper on what we wanted to be when we grew up. Some kids asked why. She explained that when her former students graduated, she Tiked them to come back and share their fifth-grade dreams together, as a memento of their childhood. 1 decided right then and there that Iliked Mrs. Barrowha ontove The Teacher Who Cared A weacier affects ternity no one can tell bere Dis influence steps, ery Adan ‘Mr. ara, wom $0, rm 50,1 epeate to myself scanned the allway looking a the room unis Ite ny fst day oFFth grade an was really scared Tame tothe end ofthe hall nd found an open door Stepping ito the room I suddenly fal out of pce Ted ‘0 act normal but Mes. Barow saw right though me “Good morning, Coun: You may pick yourseat {glanced about the room and took an empty seat near a al named Wendy BarberAs the year slowly pogieseed Wendy and I became good friends, I felt no closeness #0 Mrs, Herow, though. Is her asst another teachers Mrs Barow had ts wite «paper on what we santed to be when we grew up. Some lids eked why. She explained that when her former students graduated, ahe liked them to come back and share their fifth-grade dreams together, as a memento of their childhood. 1 decided right then and there that I liked Mrs. Barrow, ‘Then my grandmother, who lived with us, was diagnosed sah pancreatic cancer. About a month later, Grandma ped into a coma and died. Lasing her was unbearable ne. I missed some school because I was so sad, TAt the funeral, I was sitting there feeling sorry for self when I looked up and saw Mrs. Barrow standing ere She sat down next to me and held my hand. She forted me by reminding me that now Grandma had ‘more pain or suffering, It had never occurred f© me it it was better for my grandma this way. AILT thought bout was how sad it was for me. ‘Aiter the funeral, we went to my aunt’s house to see the “fowers that had been sent. My mom handed me a pretty Hy plant in a pink pot. The attached card rea Court, Tin sorry about your grandmother. Neve forget, T love you, You are like one of my chile, With toe, Mars Barro wanted to cry. I took the plant home, watered it and pt it in my grandma's old room. Tam in eighth grade | how and I sil have that plant. I never thought a teacher could care that much about her students: now Tknow. Tsay this with all my heart: Anyone who is lucky enough to have a teacher like Mrs, Barrow in thet life, = even for a shott while s privileged beyond words. She may not knovr it, but she means more to me than she'll ‘xr know. Ican only hope this gives her inspiration and repays to her a tiny portion of what she has done for me. __To Mrs Barrow—I love you very much. You're much ‘more than a teacher—you ate lke a mother to me, Court how, threoCry When You Are Sad Ona sunny Monday in April I had two loving grand: mothers near me, but when Tuesday came, only one was Ielt. One of my grandmothers who was dear to me, had Thad. feeling that this awful day was going to come but now that it was here all wanted to But [wasn't brave enough to shed a tear, for w [taught that boys should never ery Later asthe time came for the funeral activities, Lad the hardest time keeping my sadness inside My relatives soon artived from all 0 really had to hold back my tears now that my relatives ‘were here, because I didnot want to look like a crybaby in E ront of them. [figured out that my parents, my sister and myself were the only ones that had lived in the same wn as my grandma. That explained why her death was hitting me the hardest, while my cousins seemed as though they were here just to getaway from home, Theyi) onton realy had’ known her ike had Son, all of my elatives gathered atthe funeral home, waling forthe viewing to begin. What T thought weg fing lo be theca part of my grieving eumedento th ardest The moment 1 walked into the room where my srandma was laying i a cols, my heart dropped Th as eong tobe the ast ime that would eversge her At fst was aad to proceed with the rest of my fal to her coin, but then {realized that I would Rave Sooner o ate. I grabbed ho of my mother’s hued ana Rept my mind on remembering nat © cy ‘When I came up to the kel in tnt of where she was lying, my mother made me_do something the almost brought me to fears. She told me to tou Granima’s hand fo that was going to be the lst ine that I would get a chance to toch he, reached over to her hand very slowly, said of what she might fe Ike When my hand touched hers, Iwas feleved fora moment. She fet the sae way she aways had except Te cooler than usual When [looked up at my mos, she bepan crying uncon- trollably. knew this was the tine tha realy ha to be strong, reached my ame around her and slay wale ‘lth her back fo our stats, During the nxt ew hours, met many diferent people Allofthem were tling me that they weve soy boat oy jandima passing awa. ssl and veminded yee not to ey, because Thad to often been tal "Boys shel bestang and not cy Thept reminding myself hat soon this night woul be over tut the new ay woul Bethe actual funeral. the lat good-bye My mother woke me ey the next morning making sure that Hooked my bet promised msl when setting desea that would Bold tack my teas no mates ontove 21 | what, [had to be strong and help my grieving parents ‘When we arrived at the church, we all waited as they took my grandma’s coffin out ofthe big black hearse. We had to follow it in so everyone knew that we were family. ‘Once inside, we took our seats. My family satin the very front because we were the closest to my grandma, I was surprised to see that even before the sorvice hogan, my par tenis were crying, was trying to hold back my tears, bt a8 the priest began talking about my grandma, it seemed 2s though not crying was going to bean impossible task. About halfway through the mass, he began telling the people about how much my grandma was loved by her family and friends. He then mentioned how every night I stayed with her while my parents were working. That | reminded me of all of the good times we had together | throwghout my life. tn the summer, we would glide on her swing, In the winter, we would always ride sleds down, _ the big hill hind her house. There were so many good times that went through my mind that I almost forgot where I was. began to realize that those good times were gone forever. At this exact thought, I began to cry uncon- " trollably I didn't care anymore about what other people thought of me. It was something that I just had t0 do. 1 could not hold back my sadness anymore. ‘When my father noticed me sobbing, he leaned me up next to him and we cried together. My father, my mathe, my sister and I sal next to each other, crying as ifthe ‘world was going to end. At this pint | promised to myself that if ever had a son, I would tell hie “Real boys show emotions, Cry when you are sad and smile when you are happy.” This was the last time I would say good-bye to my grandmother, but | was a better person fr letting my tears show everyone just how much I loved her. Jonathan Pic, fifteen