HLN is airing a “West Wing” marathon this week, and I happened to catch one of my favorite scenes last night. It’s from a season three episode called “Stirred,” in which Donna tries to convince Josh to get a presidential proclamation for her favorite teacher in high school, Molly Morello, on the occasion of her retirement.
The scene is so beautifully written and acted it always bring me to tears, probably because both of my parents were educators who made a big impact on the lives of their students — many of whom said nice things about them when Mom and Dad retired. But, to my knowledge, none of them ever tried to get such an honor from the then-incumbents at the White House.
I’m sure this tugged at the heartstrings of everyone who was raised by teachers, or who remembers one who had a special impact on their lives. I never had that bond in school, but my daughter did, and still stays in touch with some of those whose classes she participated in.
This clip is a bit grainier than I prefer, but it’s the best I could find.