The unsent thank you

I finally messaged my old English teacher today. I had wanted to thank her for encouraging me to speak to class, but the message had satbin my drafts for months because everything. I wrote sounded awkward. I eventually sent three simple sentences. She replied that she remembered my first presentation and how nervous I had been. Then she said she was proud of me. I started at the message longer than I expected. I had assumed teachers forgot students as soon as they left school 🏫. Apparently, I had underestimated how much an ordinary encouragement can matter to someone who gives it.