My mom went through a lot of health problems starting when I was in 7th grade. my dad was working 28 days a month to keep the family afloat and I was the oldest

My mom went through a lot of health problems starting when I was in 7th grade. my dad was working 28 days a month to keep the family afloat and I was the oldest kid so a lot of responsibilities fell to me. Fortunately, my advanced math teacher was also the middle school drama teacher. She got me into the drama and improv clubs and it gave me an outlet to deal with my emotions in a healthy way. I was glad I could return the favor and bring her onstage as my most influential teacher at high school graduation, especially since she was a tough teacher who most students at that age were disinclined to like.