This teacher, who had just celebrated her 80th birthday, had remained a family friend and was a link to my past, since both my parents no longer walk this earth. In this little notecard, this special woman reminded me that love never leaves, it just takes on other forms. The relationship between this English teacher and my mother began when my mother was in the seventh grade in Millville, New Jersey. Millville, or the Holly City as it is known, is located in the southern part of the state. At that time, the glass and cotton mill factories supplied the bread and butter for most of the families in the area.
Teachers are so very special.
I suspect not. This particular teacher, Mrs. Miller, had shown my mother acceptance and love. Shortly after my mother finished the seventh grade, she left school to work full time in a cotton mill. She would have been thirteen years old at the time. To this day, I try to picture myself at thirteen going to work full time with the deafening noise of the big machines, and I can't.