Rewind to August 2006.  A doe-eyed, freckled, fair-skinned, long-haired brunette sits in my 8th grade English class, so eager, so enthusiastic. This little darling is special. She likes to write. She loves to read. Highly unusual for this age. She can talk to adults, yet she can be silly with the rest of her adolescent peers. Her writing is original, so much that it wins a Scholastic award. She’s outspoken, witty, non-conforming. I love this girl! She graduates from middle school, I quit teaching. We keep in touch. She assists me with my photography and unknowingly prepares me to be a future mom of teenage girls. I watch her grow and change, but I still remember the bright eyes, the sly smile, the intent look on her face when we were knee-deep in class discussions or creative writing.

I knew this time would come fast! I just wasn’t prepared for how fast. I’m sure her mom and dad feel much the same way. But alas, it’s time for Miss Hannah to embark on a new phase of her life. I wish she could stick around forever, but more than anything I want her to be happy and glow with the same intensity I saw in her as a 13 year old student. I hope she never loses that spark.