I don’t think Mr. Hanson, my 9th grade English teacher knew the impact he had on my life. I may have realized it a few years later – from the English fundamentals he taught and the vocabulary he gifted us as reluctant sponges. But later in life, my friends and I have often talked about the life lessons he also instilled in us. I was fortunate to talk with him one day when I was already a young mother and he was long-since retired. We had a talk about all the lessons I remembered and the ways he shaped so many lives. He asked me to be sure to pay it forward with my own children and any children I teach. He died soon after our conversation. I have kept his memory as a blessing and shared so many stories, lessons AND vocabulary words because of my experiences with him.