Dear Unsung Hero of Strothoff International School,
 
I don’t know who you are. Maybe you’re a cool DP2 student, maybe you’re a parent of three, or maybe you’re a staff member with a keen eye for life’s little miracles. Whoever you are, you’ve done something that has not only restored my faith in humanity but also brought me to the brink of tears—the good kind. You, my friend, found and returned my beloved pair of sunglasses, and for that I owe you a lifetime of gratitude, a shout-out in my future memoir, and possibly my third-born child.

Yes, they are technically “cheap” sunglasses. But don’t let the humble price of $4.49 fool you. These aren’t just any sunglasses. These are the battle-scarred veterans of countless adventures, the Indiana Jones of eyewear, if you will. They’ve been with me for nine solid years—a feat most sunglasses can only dream of. In a world of disposable fashion, they are the timeless voyager.
 
It was the dead of summer in the sticky heat of the South Florida Everglades, and I found myself at a gas station that could have easily doubled as the set of a low-budget horror film. With a cold Mountain Dew in one hand and $4.49 in the other, I spotted these simple sunglasses. It was love at first squint—the Florida sun was its usual bright self that day. From that moment on, those shades have been my loyal companion through sun, snow, coronaviruses, and more than one near-death experience (mostly involving faulty shark fishing gear and one ornery defibrillator). They never left my side. Until one day...
 
The other week at the Welcome Back Barbecue—a joyful gathering where everyone was mingling, grilling, and trying to remember each other's names after the summer break—the unthinkable happened. I don’t know if it was the excitement of reconnecting with everyone or the distraction of trying not to drop my camera or the various microphones I had dangling from my pockets, but at some point, my beloved sunglasses went missing.
 
I feared the worst. Were they trampled underfoot during an intense game of four square? Had they fallen into Mr. Kingwell’s grill? Were they abducted by a particularly stylish PTO member? The panic was palpable. I was touched by the dozens, the hundreds of Strothoff community members who saw my pain and tried to help me find the missing loved ones (thank you Mrs. O for digging through the spider webs, the IT guy for distributing the metal detectors, and for all the PYP students who crawled into small spaces during the search). But they were nowhere to be found.
 
But then, as if guided by the Sunglasses Gods themselves, you stepped up. Whether you found them lying serenely on a table or half-buried in the sandpit, you didn’t just walk away, assuming they were just another pair of cheap shades someone would replace with a fancier pair. No. You understood. You recognized that these sunglasses were not just a tool for blocking out the sun; they were a symbol of endurance, of loyalty, and of true fashion sense—the new substitute for all the fancy ties I used to wear to school.

You recognized their value, and you were most certainly tempted to keep such a prize for yourself. You had the power of coolness at your fingertips, the tinted windows to souls in the palm of your hand, but you resisted. Because you are Strothoff: caring, principled, open-minded, reflective.... You knew the right and righteous thing to do. You set them on the table by the front doors, lying among the forgotten Tupperware and red hoodies.
 
By returning them, you have proven once again that the community at Strothoff International School is one that looks out for each other, that understands the value of the seemingly insignificant, and that embodies the best qualities of humanity: honesty, support, and a little bit of style. I am very lucky and grateful to be a part of such a warm and caring community.
 
So, to you, O Finder of Lost Shades, I say: Thank you. Thank you for restoring not only my sunglasses but my soul. They may not have much monetary value, but their sentimental worth, coolness ranking, and fundamental functionality are truly through the roof.
 
Next time you see me, wearing these epic sunglasses in all their $4.49 glory (probably hanging from my shirt), know that you are the reason they’re still by my side. I owe you big time and am deeply grateful.
 
Sincerely,  

A Proud Member of Strothoff, Owner of the World’s Most Legendary Sunglasses