Why not this year? I am an American. France and nearly all European countries have closed their doors to us in the midst of the pandemic. We have 156,000 neighbors felled by the coronavirus, with no end in sight. Proud Americans, we are embarrassed and shocked, horrified and sad.

So, my Paris dreams are of wandering in the Tuileries, exploring the charming side streets, and admiring the beauty of the architecture with its magnificent mansard roofs. On any given street, there was often a lovely flower shop with exquisite arrangements set out for a passerby to admire. They were always irresistible!

There is so much of Paris that I love, and many special memories. One in particular was the marvelous taxi driver on whom I tried my less than perfect French. Thinking that I told him, “I love Paris,” he warmly told me, in his perfect English, that I just said I loved him! He was very kind and amused, and we laughed together.

Of course, I love dreaming of Paris! For now, remembering all the delicious meals, the art, the bateau mouche and the wonderful people will have to be my joy, until I can board a plane and become a Parisienne once again. 

- Author's Note: I was asked to write this article by Jan Smith of VacationInParis when we were all on lockdown...

Elizabeth’s desk was in front of mine, and she would often hand me her latest story and we would talk about how she was becoming an author. I expanded on our chats by putting comments on her stories. Joan’s letter let me know that Elizabeth was now married and the mother of a sixth-grade daughter who was rummaging through the attic and came upon her mother’s papers. They were marked with my positive comments, including that she had the potential to write books. My analysis proved true: Elizabeth is the author of several best-sellers, including the latest, All Things Cease to Appear, which has also been translated into French.

Joan had considerately copied Elizabeth’s papers and included them with her letter, along with newspaper accounts of Elizabeth and her writing. The letter then invited me to be her guest at a launch of Elizabeth’s first book, The Doctor’s Wife, which would take place in New Jersey.  At one, I was seated next to Elizabeth and was so touched when she introduced me as “the inspiration” for her writing, to much applause. It was a heart-stopping and indescribable moment.

Since then, Elizabeth and I have kept in touch. When her fourth book, All Things Cease to Appear, was published in 2016, I told my book group about it and we all decided to read it for our next meeting. When Elizabeth heard this, she immediately said that it would be her pleasure to drive down from upstate New York and be there to talk about her writing and the book itself. Her presence made the discussion extraordinary! Everyone in our group was fascinated by Elizabeth’s talk and had many questions about the book and her writing process. What a wonderful evening!  I was so touched when she said that I “was her first writing teacher and great inspiration.”

The great thing is that, like Elizabeth, so many of the students I’ve tutored in the 11 years since I retired from full-time classroom teaching have gone on to notable academic achievements and remarkable careers. That they stay in touch with me (Facebook is a help) is so gratifying. Life doesn’t get any better than that for a teacher.