She was my fourth grade teacher and I will never forget her.  Her name was Sr. Naoma, and I thought she hung the moon.  I was her favorite student, or at least that's what I thought.  

Back in that time, nuns wore full habit and were rarely seen outside of church and school. 

But Sr. Naoma was different.  She loved the outdoors. She would often be seen working in her garden or fishing in the bayous in South Louisiana -- in full habit!

We, her students, believed there was nothing she could not do.  And she made us all believe there was nothing we could not do.  I decided in fourth grade that I would become a teacher so that I could touch lives the way Sr. Naoma had touched mine.  

Several years ago, I decided to try to find out what had ever become of Sr. Naoma.  A little research led me to the fact that Sr. Naoma lived only about 60 miles away.  So I got an address and I did what I should have done years ago - I wrote my fourth grade teacher a letter of thanks:

         Dear Sr. Naoma, 

I don't know if you'll remember me, but you taught me in the fourth grade and you changed my life.  I became a teacher because of you, as I wanted to touch lives the way that you touched mine and so many others.

I am now a public speaker, and I talk about you in all of my speeches, reminding teachers of the impact that they have on the lives of their students. So, I feel that I owe you a long overdue "thank you."

With love and gratitude,

Annette Breaux

Since that letter, Sr. Naoma has become like a member of my family, often spending weekends and holidays with us. 

A few years ago, Hurricane Lili was threatening my hometown in South Louisiana.  My family and I evacuated.  Thankfully, Hurricane Lili brought only minor wind damage to my town.  

When I returned home, the phone was ringing as I walked in the door.  It was Sr. Naoma wanting to know if my home had been damaged. 

I told her, "The house and roof are fine, but there are lots of large branches in the yard -- some too big to even lift. I'm going to hire someone to come over with a chainsaw this weekend and clear them out."

Two hours later, Sister Naoma showed up at my house with her chainsaw!

Sr. Naoma had proved yet again that there was nothing she could not do.

Only three years later, Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans with a vengeance, devastating the lives of thousands of people. Sr. Naoma, who lived right next to one of the main breaks in the levee, lost everything.  Her home was gone, and New Orleans was shut down for months.  

Luckily, my home, 60 miles from the destruction, was fine. I opened my doors to Sr. Naoma, my fourth grade teacher, the teacher who changed my life. She lived with me for seven months following the hurricane. Now she was really a member of the family!

Today, she's back in New Orleans. And although she no longer lives with me, she will always live in my heart.

Remember, every teacher, every day, is a "Sr. Naoma" to someone.