As a teacher, you're not supposed to have any favorites,  but over the years I have had so many students that have left a deep impression on my heart, and Abigail is one of those students.  I guess I can call her my very first favorite...
     Abigail was in my 2nd grade class in Norfolk, Virginia in 1989.  I was a very young, very new teacher, and I guess you could call those first classes of mine my "guinea pigs".  Abigail was the first student I had that reminded me of myself as a student, and I felt an immediate connection to her as a person.  She was sweet, kind, hard-working and always wanted to please me.  She also happened to have blonde hair and light eyes- just like me.  I never wanted to let her down.
     There are people that come into your life that never leave you, no matter how far you move away...   I remember praying at night that one day I would have a daughter like Abigail.  I just loved her! And when I met her younger brother, Daniel, I wished I would one day have a Daniel, too!  He was just as sweet as Abigail was!   Abigail's family was one that I admired and strived to emulate one day when I became a parent. Abigail's parents, Mr. and Mrs, Garrett were kind and generous with their time and thoughtfulness.  They would do whatever they could to not only help their own child, but any other child that needed help.  They were good people, all four of them, and they made me feel good just being around them.  That stuck with me.
     On the day that my daughter was born, I remember looking into her eyes and thinking to myself, "I got my own sweet Abigail!".  And when my son was born, a few years after I had moved away from Virginia Beach, I thought about Daniel, and how I was so incredibly blessed to have had my son.  I hoped and prayed that I would do a good job raising both of them.  As a mom,  I always strived to be kind, caring and generous of heart,  just like Mr. and Mrs. Garrett were in my memories of them.  Fortunately, my now grown "babies",  Becca and Tommy,  far exceeded any dreams I ever had as a young teacher about what my own children would one day be like.  I often wonder if the influence that Abigail and the Garrett family had on me way back in 1989 played a small part in the wonderful people my children have grown into.  xoxox

That's me with Abigail (far right) way back in 1989!

     I still keep in touch with my Abigail.  She's a mom herself now to 3 beautiful children!  She sent me the above picture just recently through Facebook with the following message:

Decorating the Christmas tree with my family tonight and came across this ornament. "Mrs. Monks' 2nd Grade 1989". ❤️❤️

She kept the ornament I made her all these years.  xoxoxoxo