By Gavin Westfall
Staff Writer

 I hope you are having a successful start to the semester and haven’t let the unpredictable weather drive you crazy. If you follow my column you have probably caught on that I am on a self- improvement streak and experiencing a “coming of age” period in my life. Does that mean I have figured out the meaning of life? Absolutely not, and I’m sure there will be some moments of confusion and bumps in the road, but it also leads me to my first topic for this article- appreciating life. Unfortunately I’ve lost a few friends to tragic accidents over the years including one recently. Certainly some of you have experienced the passing of a loved one as well, and we can agree that life is precious; you never know what day is your last. We hear the popular phrase “live like you were dying,” all the time. The chances of you making it to tomorrow are very high, so I wouldn’t go that far, but there is some truth to it. Imagine that every action you take after reading this is the last time doing it. That ice cream cone will probably taste a lot better than usual. It’s not realistic to slowly treasure every action you take, but maybe try to savor one action a day whether it is reading the student newspaper or taking the dog on a walk. We live in a society where everyone is constantly on the go and glued to their cell phone screens. Look up once in a while, smile and connect with your fellow human beings. Which leads me to my second topic, Appreciating Teachers.

  Here at Piedmont in Athens, education majors surround me and it got me thinking not only about looking up and smiling, but also about some of my former teachers and the impact they had on my educational journey. 

Without some very caring, skilled and dedicated teachers I wouldn’t be reading and writing at the level I am now. 

Here is what I am going to do: before the end of February I am going to choose a teacher who made a big impact in my life and write her or him a letter or email. You also probably had a teacher who inspired you or helped you or was very kind to you. 

Will you take a few minutes to write a note to let him or her know that? Don’t worry about proper grammar or punctuation, just write it and send it! No doubt in my mind that any teacher would love to hear from a former student. 

Next month, I will share my letter writing experience and if you email me at [email protected]. I’ll share yours, too.