ado.

“For it falls out

That what we have we prize not to the worth

Whiles we enjoy it, but being lacked and lost,

Why, then we rack the value, then we find

The virtue that possession would not show us

While it was ours.” 

- William Shakespeare, Much Ado About Nothing 

Even as the years go by, there truly are some people that stay in your mind forever. 

One of these people is my grade 11 English teacher, Mrs. Taylor. 

She was obsessed with everything to do with English Literature, and was so thorough in making sure everyone understood what we were talking about. I'm lucky to have one of those brains which can interpret Shakespearean English into a modern tongue - however, as I have begun teaching, I see how difficult a skill this is to teach. 

One of my fondest memories is from a few years ago, when Mrs. Taylor invited us all to her home for the afternoon. We were studying Much Ado About Nothing, and she felt it would be more appropriate to perform the play in her beautiful backyard (which also overlooked Lake Okanagan, the orchards and valley) than inside a stuffy classroom. 

Looking back, I am so touched that she opened her home to us high school kids. It was one of those beautiful May days, where you can almost taste summer - and here we were, dressed in our finest interpretations of Shakespearean clothing to perform. I remember gazing out at Mrs. Taylor from our makeshift stage, and saw her beaming.

I write all this because I stumbled across a beautiful copy of Much Ado About Nothing in a used bookstore the other day. These memories washed over me, and I realized how much of an impact this woman had on me. 

Thank you Mrs. Taylor for not only making me fall even more in love with Shakespeare, but taking a chance with us.