started at the bottom .
At the time , I was finally eligible — agewise , at least — to sign up for the church choir . Obviously , Mom and Dad were delighted . I definitely did not share their enthusiasm . But I would soon meet my choir teacher , Miss Nancy , who would leave such a positive lasting impression on me as a kid that I was honored to be able to invite her to Demi ’ s and my wedding about two decades later . Over the years and still today , when- ever I think about her or mention her name , I can ’ t help but smile and feel grateful .
I remained under the tutelage of Miss Nancy from second grade through fifth grade . Although I started out as a camel ’ s butt , by the time I had graduated elementary school , I performed in the last few plays as a Supreme Court justice and Superman . That ’ s quite an impressive progression over a few years .
I may have been basically taking up space in choir due to my lack of talent , but I was happy to do my best for this special teacher . Miss Nancy had a gift . More than one , actually . But it wasn ’ t just that she was a great teacher who had remarkable musical talent . She was passionate about her position . She used what she was doing and where she was planted to make a difference . Miss Nancy cared about the students . And she made every one of us feel special , even the kids who couldn ’ t carry a tune past the first three notes . Like me .
What I especially loved about her was how she flipped what I had considered awful into something fun . It wasn ’ t her skill that made this happen ; it was the place in her heart she taught from . Miss Nancy ’ s spirit was steeped in joy , from the smile that always glowed on her face , to her positive attitude , to her words of encouragement to all students — the ones who had talent and the ones who were better at other things . Even the teachers who worked with her , like Miss Tammy , shared her passion . Let me be clear that my
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