It was hard deciding what to write about today. I could tell the story of how I was hit in the head with a rock when I was a little girl, or how much I envy the beautiful art I see people make using rocks and other materials but those things seem too easy. Especially after the day I’ve had.

Today I went to visit a teacher who taught me many years ago – when I was in junior high school to be exact. He retired years ago and has suffered from poor health for many years. I promised many times in the past that I would visit him but never made the trip, until today. He and his wife are no longer living in their own home. They now live in a full-care retirement home about an hour outside my city. When I saw this teacher today, it was hard not to cry. The man who taught me so much and motivated me to be the best version of myself when I was entering my teenage years is barely able to stand on his own. Even so, he’s a happy person. He faces every day of his life with optimism and humour, regardless of his pain and many struggles.

Seeing him today, made me realize that he had a large part to play in building a strong foundation for me to create my life. I know that I’m not the only former student of his that feels this way because when I chat with him – in our frequent phone conversations – he tells me about the messages he receives from students who seek him out on social media; and many of my friends from all those years ago have similar thoughts and feelings about him. For so many of us he was a cornerstone. He taught us to excel, have self-respect, and never give up on anything – most importantly ourselves.

I know the prompt today is rock, but what is a cornerstone other than a rock, cut to fit certain specifications in a building’s foundation.