This is something new I want to try. I’m going to write a series of thank you letters to people who have had important impacts on my life. I hear this is good for mental health, but, more importantly, I expect this to help me explore the connections I have with people in my life. When I am feeling overwhelmed, I often say I don’t have many (or I wish I had more) friends or that I’m bad at making friends. I hope writing about important people in my life will help me see something more positive than that.
I stopped by your office and you weren’t there. You’re a busy human. I stop by when I’m around and have free time because I figure you’ll be there every now and then, and I’ll get to say, “hi”. I fully expect that you won’t be there most of the time. I spent some time thinking about why I stop by.
In reality, I’m not sure if we’ve ever just said, “hi”. Even when you’re in a hurry to get somewhere, we always seem to manage to have a substantial conversation about something. We’ve talked about fountain pens and waterproof ink, green roofs, plants and soil, music we like, places we’ve traveled, your kids, my kids, our spouses, and all kinds of things. You have felt like a friend to me, even when you were my professor and technically my superior. I’m still sorry I dropped your plant physiology class. I feel like I missed out, but that semester was messy for me.
Speaking of messy, you were there for me when my daughter’s school recently called. I came back into your office and you had overheard the distress in my voice. You had made coffee and offered me a mug. I don’t drink coffee, but I still felt seen and valued. I told you I don’t drink coffee, so you offered me hot water and a tea bag. Having already felt seen and valued, this extra effort made me feel… special? I’m not a huge fan of how cliche that sounds, but it seems reasonably appropriate here. I still visit your office because you have always made me feel welcome and worthy.
In spite of having never completed one of your classes, I worked with you for a couple of years. You oversaw my undergraduate research project, got me involved in conferences, drove me to New Orleans to present our work, reviewed my honors thesis, attended my thesis presentation, and hugged me for the first and only time at my graduation. You might not think of it this way, but I evolved quite a bit while you were watching. So, I continue to visit your office because I want you to see me grow.
You were not the person who inspired me to look more closely at plants. I’m sure I’ll write another “thank you” to that person in the near future. But you are the person who set me on the path of sustainable urban ecosystems, by taking me to that first green roof. I’m still studying that roof (and others) as part of my master’s thesis work. So, I still visit your office because I’m on campus an awful lot anyway.
Still, I want you to know that you’re exceptional. You are among a short list of people who inspire me while also allowing me to feel fundamentally safe and comfortable in their presence. You helped shape the person I have become and am becoming. I am proud of that person, and I hope you are as well.
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