The greatest gift I've ever received is being a teacher.

“The greatest gift I’ve ever received is being a teacher.” Thus spoke Alyssa Edwards, performer, dancer, and mentor, whose life has been marked not only by the stage but by the classroom, where the art of transformation is passed from one soul to another. In this simple yet powerful declaration lies a truth as old as humanity: that to teach is not merely to give knowledge, but to receive in return the profound blessing of shaping lives, of seeing potential awaken where once there was uncertainty.

The meaning of her words rests in the paradox of giving and receiving. To many, teaching appears as sacrifice—time, effort, patience poured out for others. Yet Alyssa Edwards names it not as loss, but as the greatest gift she has been given. For the act of teaching gives back to the teacher in ways no wealth, no fame, no honor can. Each spark of understanding in a student’s eyes, each step of progress, each life uplifted by encouragement, returns to the teacher tenfold as joy, purpose, and legacy.

This truth has echoed through the lives of great figures. Consider Socrates, who left behind no written works but whose dialogues with his students shaped the course of philosophy forever. His greatest gift was not recognition in his own time but the transmission of wisdom that outlived empires. Or think of Anne Sullivan, whose patient teaching opened the world of language to Helen Keller. To her, the gift was not in accolades but in the transformation of one child’s life. Alyssa Edwards joins this noble lineage, declaring that the privilege of guiding others is itself a treasure beyond measure.

The origin of Edwards’s words lies in her journey as a dancer and drag performer, who, after finding her own voice in art, turned to cultivate the voices of others. In her dance studio, she became more than an instructor of movement—she became a mentor of resilience, a cultivator of confidence, a midwife to dreams. She discovered that teaching is not only about steps and technique but about unlocking courage and self-belief in her students. Thus, when she calls it the greatest gift, she speaks from the lived reality of one who has seen how teaching allows the soul to ripple outward, shaping lives beyond one’s own.

There is also a deeper heroism in her declaration. In a world that prizes fame and achievement, to call teaching the greatest gift is to exalt service over self, legacy over ego. It is to remind us that the true measure of a life is not in the trophies one collects, but in the lives one touches. The stage dazzles for a moment, but the lessons planted in students endure for generations. In this way, Edwards lifts teaching to its rightful place among the highest human callings.

The lesson for us is clear: each of us, in some way, is called to be a teacher. You need not stand before a classroom; to teach is to guide, to share wisdom, to mentor, to encourage. Ask yourself: what gifts of knowledge, skill, or compassion can you pass to another? What spark can you kindle? For in giving to others, you too will find the gift returning to you in fulfillment and joy.

Therefore, dear listener, let this teaching be engraved in your heart: honor the role of the teacher, whether you are one by profession or by circumstance. Support those who guide the young, cherish those who instruct with patience, and do not shrink from sharing your own wisdom. For the greatest treasures are not possessions but legacies, not wealth but the shaping of souls. And when, like Alyssa Edwards, you look back upon your life, may you too be able to say with gratitude and truth: the greatest gift I have received is the chance to teach.