I had a pink flowered backpack that was bigger than me, filled with all new bright and shiny school supplies.  I was excited to be a big kid in junior kindergarten.  I walked down the crowded hallway alone until a friendly, vibrant, and polka dotted clothed lady came up to me. 
She said, “I know who you are, you’re Elizabeth, Heidi and Peter’s daughter.  I am Mrs. Tornehl. I know your parents very well and I will be your teacher this year.  I am so happy to have you in my class! We are going to have so much fun!” 
I followed her into the classroom and from that moment on, I knew I had nothing to be afraid of.  I had a friend already.
Then in a single-file line, 15 kids came into the classroom.  Mrs. Tornehl sat in the chair in front of us and introduced herself to us.  She read us The Very Hungry Caterpillar, I love this book still to this day.
I was fortunate to be able to have Mrs. Tornehl for two years of junior kindergarten at University Lake School (my parents held me back due to my birthday being in late August). Over those two years I grew, not only creating a friendships with my classmates, but also with Mrs. Tornehl. I learned lessons I still remember today, like how little details are important, how I can play dress up and dream of imaginary places at any age, and how to care and love for something.  She also taught me how to grow a garden, how to always have something on that is polka dotted, and just play.  One lesson that really stuck with me was that milkweed is important to have in your gardens because that is what Monarch butterflies eat and they cannot survive without them.  If you have milkweed in your gardens you will always have beautiful butterflies.
The graduation ceremony for junior kindergarten was something else.  We were in one of her favorite places, outside in the garden we helped grow.  We walked across a handmade bridge we painted earlier that year and as she called our names she gave a one white tulip, a diploma she had handwritten and a Monarch Butterfly in a glass jar.  We opened the jars and the Monarch Butterflies flew away into the warm spring air.  From that moment on, whenever I see a Monarch Butterfly I think of her and the freedom of the butterfly.
As I grew up, I kept my relationship with Mrs. Tornehl. She would invite me over with my friends around the Fourth of July and paint our hand and toe nails, red, white and blue.  We swam in the lake and enjoyed her famous homemade chocolate chip cookies and fresh lemonade.  I now invite her granddaughter, Gloria over to my house with her friends and I paint their hands and toes for the Fourth of July.  We all go swimming and make Mrs. Tornehl’s chocolate chip cookies. Gloria and I are very close now.  We both love spending time doing all the happy, fun things that her grandmother taught us.  Sometimes you can get too caught up with things in your life, and it’s important to stop and make time for some of the fun things.
When I was older, and she would go out of town, she would ask me to watch her cat Maggie.  Maggie is an interesting cat, she only likes certain people. She adored Mrs. Tornehl and me.  This was a great lesson for me.  I learned the responsibility of caring for a living animal.  And I felt kind of honored that I earned the trust of the finicky cat.
Mrs. Tornehl was not only a teacher, but she was also a mother, grandmother, and fighter. Whenever Mrs. Tornehl was not helping someone, she was outside in her garden, painting something with polka dots or sailing on Pewaukee Lake. She was always there to lend a helping hand or tell a story, always teaching others.  She spent as much time as she could with her family, and she made me feel like I was part of it. 
When Mrs. Tornehl was diagnosed with cancer, she did not stop her life.  She still gardened and crafted, played with her grandchildren, and traveled.  She never stopped fighting.  She stayed positive and continued to focus her life on the good things.  Never did I see her down and out.  It just wasn’t her.  She was so strong and knew exactly how she wanted to live the remaining days of her life.
The cancer caught up with her and on May 13, 2008 at the age of 58, Katrine Davis Tornehl, died. I knew she was going to a better place.  Her funeral was an event that I will never forget.  The church was filled with family, friends, fellow educators, past and present students.  As hard as they tried to make her funeral a happy event, because that is what she would have wanted, a celebration of her incredible life, no one left that day dry eyed. I sat next to Gloria that day and held her hand the entire service.  She is missed every day by many. 
Although Mrs. Tornehl is not here she is and will always be great influence on in my life.  I am thankful for our friendship.  My life will always be filled with endless gardens, polka dots and Monarch Butterflies because of her.