In this blog series, letters I am writing to people who have changed my life for the better in their own unique way. Thanks for joining with me.
Dear Kindergarten Principal,
It's been awhile since we talked, and I sadly but honestly do not remember your last name. I was only three or four years old when I met you so I guess that's understandable. I do, however, remember your face like I just saw it yesterday. I remember the flowers on the clothes you wore, and I remember your smile.
You see, I wasn't always such an outgoing person. I liked people, but I was intimidated in situations where I felt like the odd man out. Living in a foreign country and going to school with people who had never seen someone like me before certainly made me feel insecure. I remember the first day of school and how terrified I was to be dropped off at that big, gray gate, all by myself, without my big brother or sister to protect me.
I needn't have worried about it. When my mom picked me up a few hours later she found me not in class but in your office, sitting on your lap, absentmindedly twirling your curly black hair. I had found my little safety net, and it was in you. Your warm smile, the way you reassured me all the way to class and even held my hand on the way there, and the comfort of knowing you would always let me in your office when I got scared put my mind at ease.
In a different country and a different time, I probably would not have gotten away with that. But no matter - at a time when I felt very alone and very different from everyone else, I found my trusted ally and friend. You changed my life because you gave me the confidence to start actually going to class. Going to class meant talking and making friends with people my own age. This led to friendships I will remember the rest of my life, and experiences I will forever cherish.
So, even if I don't know your name, you made a huge impact on me, and I am thankful for it. I don't know where you are now, or how I could even find you, so instead of thanking you I'll just have to remember what you taught me - pay attention to the odd one out, the one who is a little shier than the rest, the one who may need a bit more encouraging than most. They are the ones who need a friend, an ally, and someone they can trust to break out of their shell and become the person they were meant to be.
Read more from the series:
Dear Grandma Relli
Dear Grace
Dear Grandpa Jim
