To Be Like Mrs. Haslam

As a young child of immigrant parents in Canada, I didn't speak much English when I began kindergarten. I was the only East Asian child in my class, and my Mom tells me that I had terrible separation anxiety over the first few weeks of school.

Thankfully, I was blessed with the most wonderful teacher, Mrs. Haslam. Though I was only 5 years old and spoke very little, I still have vivid memories of peering out through my eyes as a young boy, mesmerized by Mrs. Haslam's kindness.

I don't remember anything she said over that year. But I remember her smile and how gentle and patient she was. I remember looking forward to story time when we would all gather around her on the floor while she sat on a small chair and read a story to us. I was always quick to grab a spot right next to her.

As a toddler, I had developed a self-soothing habit of gently scratching at my Mom's thumb as I fell asleep. When our Aunt immigrated from Korea to help care for us, her thumb replaced my Mom's. And when I sat right by Mrs. Haslam every day during story time, I remember putting my hand on her big toe, kind of how our puppy Wilbur will sometimes sit right up against me, leaning his rump into my thigh to let me know I'm one of his people.

I'm sure it must have been awfully odd for Mrs. Haslam to have this 5-year old Korean boy who spoke little English touching her big toe during story time, but she never said a word or moved her foot away. I remember being aware that she knew I was touching her toe, and because she never said anything about this and carried on with story time like everything was perfectly fine, it became a ritual for me.

It's been 46 years since Mrs. Haslam was my kindergarten teacher, and I continue to remember her with fondness.

Mrs. Haslam is the reason why I wholeheartedly agree with Maya Angelou's saying that while we may forget what people said or did, we will remember how they made us feel. Mrs. Haslam made me feel like the world was a safe place, that there were good people who wanted to protect me and see me do well.

As an adult, my view is that to be a Mrs. Haslam to others is the most noble pursuit we can choose.