She was a beloved student. Soft, intelligent, musical. A pianist. There were family problems, and she missed a lot of school. But you soon find out as a teacher that almost every student has problems: family, friends, cognitive~~it's the human condition.
I saw her a few times unexpectedly after she graduated. Once at her workplace. She was warm and cordial. I was happy to see her.
As a teacher of high school seniors, once they graduate, they're gone from your life. No seeing them in someone else's class when they're a year older. No lunch time visits cause they miss your class. They graduate, cut the chord, spread their wings. Just what they're supposed to do. They might connect on instagram. Send a wedding invitation. Plan a lunch get together. Stop by after school one day. They may come back the next year on your birthday with a cake. Invite me to their ten year reunion. But mostly, the kids you've seen, loved, and engaged with everyday, are gone.
Along comes the day, when the beloved former student finds me on Instagram. I'm so happy to connect with her. We both love beautiful sunsets.
But her posts start to change along with her looks. There are more face piercings. Through the nose, the eyebrows, the lips. Bright green hair appears in fantastical sea creature cuts. The colors change like a rainbow. She wears thick, black boots. Tattoos. She expresses herself. Perhaps it is her true self. But there are no more beautiful sunsets.
She disappears from instagram. Two years pass.
And then one day--she comes back. There is a beautiful, red and blue-bruised sky.
A year passes. Another post. She's changed even more, but I can still detect the softness in who she is--a beautiful person.
When I find a post about music, I send it to her. Still love you, I sign at the end of my short message.
Some things can never change.
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