Mrs. Hayes, 2nd Grade

I love to listen to XM radio when I'm running my errands. Most of the time it's set on 156, the Oprah Channel. Gail King is not just Oprah's Best Friend, she's like that friend from High School that tells it like it is! The one that listens and agrees AND the one that gives honest advice when you need that. She meddles in her kids lives, loves...loves...loves things

and occasionally forgets what she's talking about...just like I do!

The shows range from fashion to food to Classic Oprah, the shows that bear repeating. I heard one from way back...1989... the other day that touched my heart. Oprah had her 4th grade teacher, Mrs. Duncan on her show. She introduced her to the audience and when Mrs. Duncan walked out on the set to join her, Oprah melted into a pool of emotion. She was unable to interview her former teacher, so overcome with love and admiration for the woman who played such an important part in her 9 year old life. She blubbered and sobbed, barely able to say more than "Mrs. Duncan, I love you!" That deep love that is usually reserved for Moms and Grandmothers. She finally was able to talk and she said, "You let me collect the milk money everyday!"

That's when I lost it.

I too had a Mrs. Duncan, she was my 2nd grade teacher Mrs. Hayes. Oh, how I loved that woman. She was kind and patient, guiding and directing the 30 impressionable lives for the 9 months she had us. We learned how to add and subtract, all about the World in Social Studies and how to write in Cursive. But we learned so much more from Mrs. Hayes. We learned trust and responsibility and that

Honesty was the Best Policy.

I'll never forget Mrs. Hayes or that feeling when she would have me collect the milk money each morning. It was good to be so young and trusted to do an important task.

I have to go get a tissue now.........