My mom ignored me unless I was doing something I shouldn’t. She had full custody so even though my dad was great, he never saw me and didn’t have much of an influence. Because of this I didn’t try in school because I didn’t think anyone cared whether I did well or not. In math class, 7th grade, I was failing and my teacher took me aside and had a come to Jesus talk with me. I didn’t necessarily care at that point but I didn’t want to get held back a grade either so I tried to at least pass. Got a really good mark on a test and that teacher gave me a hug and said she was really proud of me and that I was a really bright kid. That kind of positive affirmation really jump started something inside me and I tried from then on. Did well in math and science. Now I’m a nurse specialist in my field, I get consulted in two major city hospitals. I wonder how many lives those compassionate teachers touch on the daily.