Letter

Originally posted March 14, 2006

Here's the letter I referenced in my blog the other day about my fifth-grade teacher. The "Ranchogram" she mentions is the newsletter at the school I went to, Rancho Romero Elementary.

~~~~~~~

April 13, 1995

Dear Friends,

I went to see my doctor the other day and mentioned how humbling an experience it has been to receive all the warmth and support from the Rancho community. He said he knew about it already, as a woman who delivers the drugs (I hope I have that right) had already told him to "take good care of Sheila." Whoever that lady is -- thank you. And thank you all for your notes, cards, letters, tape-recorded messages, phone calls, etc. You'll forgive me, I hope, for not being able to answer each individually, but I'm taking some space out of this Ranchogram to give a collective hug to you all. The Beatles were right: all you really need is love and a little help from your friends.

Life is so fragile -- we all know that, I think even as children, but perhaps in that very awareness of its delicacy, it forces us to take advantage of each day and fill it with mindfulness and beauty. Our schooling must be part of that mindfulness and beauty. We must teach our children how to cultivate and nurture this mindfulness so that they may create meaningful and beautiful thoughts and ideas in a literate manner. We must teach to their intellect to reach their spirit. To do this, we must have a society that values true education (not one which confuses learning with self-esteem); a society that loves its children enough to set high standards for them and encourage and help them to work hard to meet those standards to the best of their ability. We then need to have schools willing to offer a challenging, motivating, meaningful, well-taught curriculum with the courage to demand high academic standards without fear that a low grade will "lower a child's self-esteem." This tendency in our country to equate grades with self-esteem has endangered our very society. Nationally, grades are often inflated. We have long ago reached the flashing red light of danger. I fear we have lost the majority of at least one or two generations of Americans due to our society's continuing acceptance of mediocrity (or worse) as the norm.

I did intend to make this a thank-you letter, but as is my way, given two roads, I somehow have trouble choosing the one and so meander between the two. I hope I haven't lost anyone. So returnining to the first path -- my heart is filled with your expressions of love, and I am closer to finding the strength of the great bear.

Love,
Sheila Suwannath