Dear Jonathan,
When I met you, I was a little lost.
I had finished college, but I didn’t know what I wanted to
do, or where I was supposed to go.
I was floating along.
I took some part-time jobs; boring waitressing, serving (and spilling)
coffee, cutting myself as a prep chef.
I decided to apply for tutoring. I had a few students, but they weren’t very
motivated, and I wasn’t very confident.
I considered quitting.
Then, I received your name.
I called your mom, and I set up a time to come and meet you. I could tell by her voice that she was
nervous—at the time I thought it was because I probably sounded even more
nervous. But the day I came over to meet
you, I began to understand.
You were waiting for me at the front door—you were so small
you were on your tippy-toes so that you could peek out of the window. I met you, and you were quiet, but you said
hello, and your mom showed us into the kitchen.
She left us alone, but stayed close by, “in case I needed
any help.” I didn’t know what help I’d
need with such a small, nice, quiet child.
That first meeting was very good; you listened, you smiled, you zipped
through the work, and for the first time in a long time, I felt
accomplished. After we finished, I asked
your mom to chat. I asked her why you
needed tutoring. As your mom shared with
me the difficulties you had felt at your school, my heart broke. I could see that your mom’s nervousness hadn’t
been for my inexperience, but instead that she didn’t want another person to
misunderstand her beautiful child.
Jonathan, you are old enough now that I can say this;
confidently and without pause—those people; the ones in your life that have not
understood you, who have made you feel less than or different—they are IDIOTS.
Real dumb-dumbs. And boy did they blow it. Because to know you, even for a short time, has
been AWESOME. And that is because YOU are AWESOME.
Do you know what I taught you that summer? Not much. You were already smarter than me;
we talked about calculating area, we wrote persuasive essays and practiced some
spelling. The only meltdown you ever had
was over a math worksheet… do you remember what I did? I ripped it up in strips. And we raced
through it. And you smiled after and
said, “Well, that wasn’t so bad.” I almost passed out I was so relieved it was
over. (Here’s another secret I can tell you, now that you’re all grown up—I stink
at doing math. Like SUPER stink at it.
Don’t tell anyone.)
And I used to bring you tiny animal toys as rewards. You loved animals, and knew so much about
them it amazed me. I still remember you
telling me that the “little blue fairy penguin” lived in a warm climate. I have to admit, I didn’t believe you! We
decided to look it up online, and sure enough, you were absolutely right. And to this day, it’s one of my favorite
animals.
After working with you for a few months, it was time to go
back to public school for you; and time for us to say goodbye. You gave me a tiny stuffed leopard (I still
have!) and a certificate. And on the
certificate, it said; “Thank you for opening up the world of learning to me.”
But Jonathan, I have to tell you, you had it all
backwards. I didn’t open up the world to
you; you opened up my entire world! In
teaching you, I found what I had been missing.
I was able to anticipate your needs and meet them with my own
style. I could make you laugh! I could
get you to complete your work with a smile on your face. I was teaching. For the first time in my life, I was
effectively teaching and it was paying off.
And my reward was your big eyes and smiling face greeting me each time I’d
pull up at your house. I cried the day I
left your house, all the way home. But I
also smiled. I had decided.
After that summer, Jonathan, I decided to go to graduate
school for teaching. After two years of
hard work, I received my degree, and I jumped in with both feet and never
looked back.
Since I taught you, sweet Jonathan, I have had roughly 205
students in my classes. I have loved
each and every one. And because of you,
my dear, I was able to make a difference in their lives as well.
If I had never met you, I’m not sure what I would have ended
up doing. But I know that this is what I
am meant to do. From that first day in
your kitchen, I knew that it felt really wonderful to make a tiny difference in
your world. And it was right there, in
your kitchen, where my teaching journey really began.
So, Jonathan, saying I’m proud of you isn’t enough. I am VERY proud of you. I’m proud of you for graduating (YAY! WHOOO
HOOO!) I’m proud of you for being such a
great son to your wonderful parents. I’m
proud of you for never giving up on yourself. EVER.
But mostly, I’m proud to have had the honor of being a tiny
part of your life. You changed me
Jonathan, and for that, I’ll always be grateful to you.
Go out and do WHATEVER THE HELL YOU WANT in this world because YOU CAN
DO IT! Don’t ever let anyone tell you that you can’t do something that you
believe in.
Unless it’s your mom.
If she says no, then listen to her. She’s a wise lady.
If there is anything I can ever do for you, please don’t
hesitate to reach out to me.
You will always have a very special place in my heart.
Congratulations Jonathan, and thank you for opening up the
world of teaching to me.
Love,
Jessica
