When I came home from work today, I opened the mailbox and found an envelope addressed to me. It was from two former students. In the envelope, each wrote a long letter expressing their new life in high school and sharing how much they appreciate my teaching during middle school. They were so proud that they were able to answer questions about Romeo and Juliet and grammar in high school — all because of their hard work in middle school. They also sent a bumper sticker with the name of the school. I will always cherish these letters. It was the boost that I needed especially after what happened yesterday.