The best news of the day :-)

It is now countdown to the beginning of a new academic year. And it is a fantastic countdown; how else can it be when I read the following email from a former student (I have withheld the name):

Hi Sriram,

It's Dr. [Name]. I hope you remember me as one of the students in your economic geography class at CSUB. I just wanted to say, "I made it!" I got my Ph.D. last month. I did it in 6 years (it took 9 months to write my dissertation). In fact, out of my grad school cohort of 13 students, I was the only one to finish on "normative time" (of course, there were only 2 of us left when I filed--the rest of the students fell by the wayside throughout the years). Anyway, I JUST started (3 weeks ago) a tenure-track job .
.... [my deletions]

I just wanted to say thanks for everything. I think of you often, and I use many of the things I learned in your economic geography class (like "white flight," urban decay, and the tragedy of the commons) in my composition courses. I also discuss economics (class stratification, the intersection of race and class, and neoliberal economic policies, specifically) in my literature classes. I thought you might like to know that the things I learned in your classes at CSUB have really stuck with me throughout my graduate school and, now, academic career. I also want to thank you for giving me the opportunity to work as your TA, as well as the wonderful recommendation letter you wrote me, both of which helped me get into (and get full funding for) graduate school.

I hope your family is well. And I hope you are enjoying yourself in Oregon. I have a wife and a 2 (almost 3) year old daughter. I am enjoying the joys of being a husband and father while also realizing that it's difficult to make time to be both of those things AND be an academic. Geez...how do people do it?

Okay. I don't want to get carried away. So, I'll close by noting that many teachers say things like "if I can make a difference in just one student's life..." Well, for what it's worth, you made a difference in MY life, Sriram. Thank you again.

Hey, thanks, Dr. [Name]. And, yes, congratulations on the doctorate, the tenure-track job, the wife, the daughter, ..... you deserve even more rewards in your life and ... go, get 'em!

As for me, there is simply no way I can have a crappy academic year after such a letter :-)