To sir, with thanks

One of my foremost goals in life is to live it without regret, especially when it comes to letting people know how important they are to me.
This is one of those times when I waited too long and am disheartened.
However, being that I also am an optimist, perhaps this letter of acknowledgment will travel a little further—through the eye of evening and into the good night.
Mr. William Malinosky, you sir, were a great teacher.
Your English class succeeded with me. Through you, I learned to express, on paper, the language I so dearly love. Granted, I did not, at the time, appreciate the many English essays you doled out in class.
My work often was returned to me penned “Incomplete thesis” or something to the effect of “Do it again.”
You were demanding.
But your belief in “nothing ventured, nothing gained” taught me well. It contributed to the highest mark in the English entrance exam in my college course and exemption from the class.
Thank you.
Through you, I learned to understand the architecture of my words and the emotional power of verse. You took the time and coached me to memorize, inflect, and resonate.
You encouraged me to share my love of the spoken word, and I took that with me into the local festival and won the Rose Bowl for Drama.
Thank you.
You accomplished what every dedicated teacher, every good and wise educator, strives to do. You, sir, were important in the life of a student.
Thank you.