I taught sixth graders for around eleven years–hey, eleven years of teaching eleven-year-olds!  And I loved every minute of it.  One of the ways God graced me was by giving me a unique love for each child.  I could truthfully say–and often did–to each one, “You are my favorite student.”  Sometimes I would walk around the class while they were doing silent reading and whisper, in all sincerity, in each ear, “You are my favorite student.”  Of course, they would ask, “How can that be true? How can we all be your favorite students?!”  Then, I would pull out a pile of my favorite books.  I would pick each one up and say, “This is my favorite book”, and so on.    I’d talk about how each book was a favorite for a different reason from the others. Then I would ask them, “How many favorite movies do you have?”  And then I would go on to explain how each of them could be my favorite student–and how to God, we are all His favorites.  Even to this day, I’ll have former students say, “Hi, Sr. Dorcee, am I still your favorite student?” and, of course, I’ll say, “Yes!!”

One day, on a Feast of Our Lady–I can’t remember which one–I was at Mass, and I looked up and saw one of my former favorite students across the way, and started thinking about her.  And, out of the blue, a thought passed through my head–which I’m sure was from Our Lady–“You’re my favorite.”  All I could do was smile . . . because I know she says that to each one of us.