15 years of correspondence reveals the hopes and dreams of a young boy and his inspirational first grade teacher. Hilda Jacobson touched the lives of many students but did not continue to develop a life-long friendship with all of them. This memoir begins with the arrival of a birthday card in 1970 and traces the monthly letters from Hilda to Michael. The letters reveal the daily challenges of each author, the struggles with harsh North Dakota weather, and the challenge of education from the student and teacher''s perspective. The role of educator is blurred, roles are reversed and, in the end, the student becomes the teacher. In an age of mass, immediate communication, this novel harkens us back to a simpler time, a more innocent time, a time full of inspiration and hope.