After watching image after image on my newsfeed of the horrific damage in Oklahoma following the devastating tornado that hit on Monday, obliterating two schools – I can’t help but think of the teachers.  The news of more child deaths en masse has me in an overly emotional state, having two small children myself.

My eldest is in kindergarten and he loves his teacher.  We love her, too.  And we know that she loves the children in her class as much as her own.  I’ve written her a short letter this evening.

Dear Mrs. Lane,

This year, we’ve seen teachers shield their students from bullets with their own bodies.  We’ve seen fallen teachers hold students in their arms so that the children didn’t have to die alone.  We’ve seen a principal fling herself at a gunman to stop him from shooting her children, making the ultimate sacrifice in the process.  Most recently, we’ve seen a number of teachers try their best to shelter children in the face of a monstrous storm rather than running to save themselves.  These teachers, some might say heroes, stayed directly in the path of death and threw themselves on top of the children when it hit.

Thank you for being a teacher.  You are more than a teacher.  You are the fearless guardian and protector of many.  You are the real-life angel that walks among our little ones while the parents are away.  Thank you for giving so much love to our children.  It is times like this when we think about the ones who give so much and receive so little.

Thank you,

Joshua’s Parents

Feel free to use this letter.  Change it up if you like.  Reword it.  Rewrite it.  It doesn’t matter.  But it would be nice if teachers everywhere were recognized with personalized letters this week.  As many as possible.