Teacher Becomes Student
By: Neile Jones
Updated: February 14, 2008
Karis Heinze learned much more from her teacher Deb Wilson than the average student, but she also educated Wilson.
Wilson described a meeting with Karis in a letter to KNWA for the By-My-Side Co-Survivor Essay Competition,
"This for you she said presenting me a flamboyant arrangement of flowers. The kind you'd offer the queen. I'm Karis Heinze and ill be your student this semester. I wondered if she knew that six days ago I'd been diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer"
As time moved on teacher and student reversed rolls
In Wilson's words, "It wasn't about the gifts she gave me, fresh flowers every week during months of chemo, chocolate, homemade cookies, balloons , bath oils, and gift baskets. It was the realization that every gesture represented a prayer she had offered on my behalf"
A lesson neither student nor teacher had planned.
Wilson described a meeting with Karis in a letter to KNWA for the By-My-Side Co-Survivor Essay Competition,
"This for you she said presenting me a flamboyant arrangement of flowers. The kind you'd offer the queen. I'm Karis Heinze and ill be your student this semester. I wondered if she knew that six days ago I'd been diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer"
As time moved on teacher and student reversed rolls
In Wilson's words, "It wasn't about the gifts she gave me, fresh flowers every week during months of chemo, chocolate, homemade cookies, balloons , bath oils, and gift baskets. It was the realization that every gesture represented a prayer she had offered on my behalf"
A lesson neither student nor teacher had planned.
