I’m the Proud Papa of students I thought of and treated as my children.

I was strict and lenient, always unremittingly lovingly supportive. Teacher, parent, friend.

My students learned words and increased their vocabulary. When they misused a word, I did not punish. I took it as an opportunity. We got to know the dictionary personally.

They particularly liked teaching me. They’d find a new word that I didn’t know, and we were delighted together.

They graduated into life, but, like all good children, kept in touch, wrote, visited, invited, shared.

We were family. Still are.