Last night we went out to dinner at a tapas restaurant in Boston. I've been there a couple of times before. A young man led us up the stairs to our table; as I was going up behind him, I was thinking that I wonder if he's trying to see if the old people can get up these stairs as fast as me? I hadn't really seen his face when we were walking.
As he seated us, he looked at me and said, "Mrs. M?," and he gave me a big hug.
It was one of my all time favorite students. I had both him and his sister for 2 years, looping from 6th to 7th grade. I was very close to his mom. I knew his family (grandfather and uncle) owned a couple of tapas places, but I never thought I might see him. He's starting his junior year at Northeastern U and his sister is about to start college at the university I just got my master's from.
This was one of the best post "teacher moments" I have ever had.