Thanksgiving Day is approaching. In addition to my family, there are plenty of people that I am grateful to, especially my high school head teacher Mrs. Zeng.

    On September 1, 2012, when I was about to be a senior, I got a message that I would be moved to a new class. This new class was the top class and there were only 28 students. Though it was good news for me, I felt somewhat apprehensive about what would come in the final year. Fortunately, it was at this time that Mrs. Zeng appeared.

    Mrs. Zeng was extremely rigorous and she earned the sobriquet “Empress Wu Zetian.” However, this “Empress” made a difference in my life. She believed that it was your previous self that shaped who you are now. It’s a simple sentence but has a profound meaning that Mrs. Zeng instilled in our minds throughout the year. That year, every student in my class was working hard so the atmosphere was kind of tense. As our head teacher, Mrs. Zeng did whatever she could do to help us relax. She shared her experiences, hoping they would benefit us.

    Mrs. Zeng was very natural and constrained. One day, some school leaders came to our class to check the quality of her lectures. Without special preparation in advance, she gave the lecture in a normal and natural way. Though it was not a perfect lecture to the school leaders, it was one of her best lectures because she respected the previous self and was true to herself.

    Mrs. Zeng was very straightforward and considerate. Usually, she was strict with our studies, but when we were down, she would always be there for us. Once I failed an exam and ranked last in my class. I had never had such a setback and suddenly felt hopeless. At that time, she took me outside. I couldn’t help crying like an innocent child. She patted me on the back and said, “All will be fine.” I lifted my head and sobbed, “I’m sorry that I failed the exam!” “Girl, don’t be so sad; you haven’t done wrong. A failed exam means nothing. You can’t deny previous self’s efforts and you should learn a lesson from the failure in order to be better.”

    Strict as Mrs. Zeng was, she was considerate. She encouraged me when I was in need of confidence and she inspired me with her positive faith. In addition, Mrs. Zeng also shared her own experience with me: She used to be very ordinary but she always appreciated the previous self and respected herself. She never denied herself because she believed that as long as she was able to respect herself she could be better.

    Now, I am already a junior student, and I still hold the belief that it was my previous self that shaped who I am now, which means I should be grateful, positive, straightforward and natural. I learned about myself and respect my own efforts. All these owe to Mrs. Zeng, a life mentor to me.