This year’s Holiday Hero Award goes to my son, Waylan’s, sixth-grade teacher, Mrs. Biesemeyer. I honestly could not pick her out of a criminal lineup (and hopefully will never have to), as my son now has no fewer than 10 teachers every day as part of his monumental entrance to middle school. But this precious teacher will always hold a special place in my heart. She did what few teachers dare to do—she magically pressed “pause” on holiday chaos and imposed a few tender moments of true heartfelt gratitude, peace, and genuine love.
My son’s English teacher asked her students to write two letters: one to mom and one to dad. Those creatively written letters were mailed in plenty of time to arrive before December 25. At a time of year when I cringe to open my mailbox, wary of what unpaid bills and junk mail may reside inside that black hole of evil, I curiously pulled out a handwritten envelope, addressed to me. I could tell right away my youngest son, Waylan, addressed the envelope, even without seeing his block-style, all-caps name in the return address.
I smiled standing there at my mailbox in the cold December air. I assumed this was a letter to Santa or some sort of wish list the teacher thought middle school parents would welcome. I was wrong. In a surprisingly good way!
As I tore open the envelope, I pulled out a letter that looked professionally typed and very business-like. As I started reading, my momma eyes became moist with tears as my heart exploded with love at the words on that single sheet of white paper.
It started off:
“Thank you for everything you do for me. I am thankful you punish me.”
I couldn’t help but laugh because my “punishment methods” are often the joke of my family, due to their unconventional and often unsuccessful outcomes (teenagers are difficult to punish!).
My son went on to share several sentiments that truly touched my heart. Some were humorous, and others serious, but he definitely poured his precious 12-year-old heart into that letter.
Another noteworthy line read:
“You lift me up when I’m down. It takes energy from you, but I appreciate that you care so much to lift me from sadness.”
Those words broke my heart wide open and started the trail of tears down my otherwise winter-affected, dry-skinned face.
I thought to myself how much I desired to know this teacher. What marvelous insight she had to encourage her students to write such amazing letters to their parents. Especially at a time of year when parents are struggling to make ends meet, buy the perfect presents, attend all the kids’ school and sports functions, barely keeping it together, when every single day is a myriad of activities that can so easily steal the true holiday spirit of peace and goodwill. Very rarely do moms hear those two sacred words: thank you. But this letter said those words and so much more.
My son’s love for me shined through his words in that Christmas letter brighter than the monumental Christmas tree in New York City’s infamous Rockefeller Plaza. This tender letter, which I plan to either frame, laminate, or tattoo on my chest so I can read it every single morning when looking in the mirror, was truly one of the greatest gifts I have ever received. It was written in love. It was encouraged by a teacher who clearly, as a mother herself, knew how special each parent would feel upon reading their own child’s tender and carefully selected words.
Sure, I miss the days of handmade ornaments, carefully crafted artwork hanging on the refrigerator, sugary gingerbread houses, and homemade cookies straight from pre-school to the family dining table. Those are sweet and tender memories I will always hold dear.
But this letter. Funneling a sixth-grade boy’s love for his mother into a keepsake gift I will cherish forever, that is a gift I cannot help but shout from the rooftops.
Dear Mrs. Biesemeyer, your intuition and empathy toward parents at this time of year is nothing short of genius. I am sure I was not the only mother ugly crying outside the mailbox on a bitter December afternoon. I am sure I am not the only parent who vowed to keep this letter until her dying day and possibly request to be buried with it in her hands. I am sure I am not the only momma to stop for a moment, exhale the busy-ness and overwhelm of this season, and simply bask in the warm glow of what is most important—the circle of love between a mother and her child.
The last sentence of my son’s heartfelt letter read:
“So, thank you, Mom, for making sure I have an awesome life.”
As I gently folded that letter of love, I thought, this child has no clue. He truly does not realize that he is the one who gave me an awesome life! A life filled with laughter, confusion, frustration, adventure, endless fun, and continual lessons. A life marked with sadness followed by intense happiness. A life that changed dramatically the moment that boy was born and placed on my chest.
My life did not really begin, not fully, until I became a mother. For my beloved son to so beautifully pour out how blessed he felt to be my son made me shake my head in confusion. For when we are loved—truly loved—in this life, the type of agape love felt only by a mother and her child, we gain a whole new perspective. We embark on a new identity that will forever be changed by motherhood.
Thank you, Mrs. Biesemeyer, for encouraging such an act of love for all of your students and their parents this Christmas. This gift will always be one of my favorites and provide a bit of humor, comfort, entertainment, peace, and a shot of love during the chaotic mayhem of the most wonderful time of year.
by Samantha Krieger 
by Kelly Crawford 
