“You’re going to be okay.”

Good morning, Ed!!

This is going to be a rough take off, because I don’t know where the professional boundaries are or how to properly articulate my thoughts. So, I want to take on a little more personal approach.

I’m incredibly thankful that God gave me the opportunity to have you speak into my life from both an educational and personal perspective. I soak up everything you say, because I want to be just as wise, knowledgeable, caring, and loving as you are. The way that you tell our class how involved you are in Josalyn’s life, I admire you, because I never had that. Your character traits are just 🔥.

Although my parents are perceived as missionaries or “pastors”, the reality was that my father cheated on and abused my mom, gaslit and manipulated my brothers and I, as well as lived a “hypocritically holy” life. With a mother just trying to keep her head above water, she often neglected the needs of her kids. Because of this, I’ve learned how to never need or depend others in my life, but also created the desire for external validation. I would often be told that I was “too much.” So, I conditioned myself to bottle every emotion I have, because of getting told that what I feel is wrong. 

Throughout college, I’ve learned how to self validate and be independent, but with the desire to give chosen mentors a large piece of influence in my life. You are one of the few that I hope to always have in my life. At the beginning of this 2022 school year, Kara told me that I always have a sparkle in my eye when I see you. This is because I unspokenly put you in the category of “father figure.” I don’t say this to add expectations on you, but to give you the insight of how much impact you have on your students. I admire you tremendously, and will continue to say, “I want to be Ed, when I grow up.” 

All this to say, I’ll never know exactly what box to put you in for my life, but that’s for you to decide where you want the ✨power distance✨. Thank you for loving your students like your own, and still showing us that your family life a priority. I literally cannot express my appreciation and fatherly love for you. 

Keep sailing and I’ll see you next semester, Sensi.