People never truly cherish the time they have with the people they love and that is one of the biggest things that I would regret. Mrs. Nichols. A charismatic woman with a wonderful smile that everyone had stamped into their minds. I was a third grader at the time when I heard the news. How was it possible that this had happened to such an amazing woman? My old first grade teacher had breast cancer. The routine started of the doctors saying "oh you'll be fine" just like they say to everyone else. Everyone was devastated that such a great person like her had to go through such a fight. Being in third grade, I didn't really understand most of what was going on, but in the back of my mind, I always knew that something was going on and it wasn't good. The chemo started and her hair started to become thinner and thinner and quickly faded away. But that smile of hers just became more and more radiant.

While our beloved teacher was going through one of the hardest things to go through, she took a positive route and still enjoyed life. Putting on her wigs and coming to school to help around with a new hair-do every time. Mrs. Nichols had finally reached the end of her fight. But the disease had a mind of its own and didn't care what it was doing. The cancer had spread to her brain among other things as well. This was the hardest part of it all. The routine "oh you'll be okay" from the doctor's wasn't there anymore. But the joy from the smile and her endless positivity was still there. Even knowing that the fight was going to get harder and longer, she didn't care. The news came when I was in class my seventh grade year.

January twenty second. A date that now had such meaning to it. No one that had her really knew what to say. We were all devastated that such a horrible disease took away the most amazing woman we knew. Putting together our first grade book and all the memories of her we had to give to her. Regretting not appreciating what we had before it was gone. I can still see her smile. And that's what pains me even more..I didn't see the beauty in it until it was already gone. But I didn't cherish it like I should have. But then again no one really appreciates things anymore. I appreciated her life and her after she was physically gone but her positivity was still within us and that is what's changed my life. Her positivity without physically being with someone and going through such a hard time.