Day 70: Judith Anne

Today was the day that our friend Judith Anne retired from teaching after 41 years. Imagine doing something for that long… and imagine how many lives Judith Anne has touched over the years. What a legacy she has created! A Randy Travis song puts it like this: That teacher left her wisdom in the minds of lots of children, Did her best to give ’em all a better start

Isn’t that what we all hope to do with our lives? To leave something that endures the fragile boundaries of our being? Well, Judith Anne has certainly done that and more. She has reached beyond her classroom to children across the world. This past year she raised money for homeless children in a school in Sierra Leone. And today, on her last day of work, she received a thank you email from those children. Click here to find out more about those children and their struggle.

I’m sure that you can think of a teacher that made an impression on you at some point in your schooling. One of my favorite teachers was named Miss Sorrola. She was my fourth grade teacher and she was awesome: confident, smart, pretty. And she was also one of the nicest people I knew. She was a great role model for me at that time and I am indebted to her for that. We all need wonderful teachers who can show us what we are capable of – and who encourage us to reach for the stars.

Tonight I brought Judith Anne an Apple Blueberry Pie to celebrate her many years of teaching. Countless children have benefitted from her efforts and I want to thank her on their behalf. Join me in wishing her a spectacular journey into the future.