What is old?

Its my birthday! I'm old,  but I never envisaged being this old when I was young, but as three of my friends have died in the last few years I am grateful and feel blessed I have got to the age I am.

When I was about 13 or 14 and in school, (it was an all girls boarding school) we had a new teacher start, called Miss Howells, she taught the science subjects and I was in her biology class. I loved her, she was fairly new in teaching and chatted to us, unlike the other teachers. We learned she was 28 and I thought wow that's old and no boyfriend!

Coming up to Valentines Day I decided to send her a Valentine Card. I sent it to a cousin living in the Midlands for her to post it from there. On the day,  we all asked Miss Howells, not had she had a card, but how many cards had she received?  she shyly said, that she had received one and blushed. I was so pleased that she was pleased... 

When I think back now, perhaps it was a bit cruel to send the card, but there was no malice in my action, I just thought a lot of her and admired her and loved her . When I left she signed my Autograph book, saying..'Keep learning and smiling' I kept that book for years and then over the years it disappeared, but I have always remembered her. I did well in Biology, but don't all children excel in subjects when they like the teacher?

I often met children I had taught, while I still lived in Essex and sad to say some of the names were forgotten, but the ones who bounced up to me smiling and obviously happy to see got my most beaming smile and the comment, 'And what are you doing these days?' (Note no name!)

The photograph is of the beautifully wrapped presents from my lovely husband.

Chrisxx