Little Things......

There is noise, yet I am stunned with the silence of the place. I cannot help but feel peaceful as I watch young girls walk up to their horses quietly, petting them whispering in their ears to the sounds of birds chirping, sun shining, the quiet breeze promising a lovely day ahead carrying with it the smell of horses and the earth! I haven't felt that peaceful for no reason in a long time. As I walk around, I notice geese in a pond and a family on the ground near the pond, trying to get the babies into the pond shooing away the other geese to the other end of the pond, protecting their family. I cannot help but hear the windmill behind me making a whirring noise. I stand transfixed for at least twenty minutes.

I continue the walk, noticing a lone man fish, a young girl riding her horse and hear the sound of a plane indicating that it is pretty low. As if on cue, I hear my phone beep as well and realize that it is a forward which in a longish way is talking about how India already had the technology as early as 12th century. I cannot help but chuckle wondering if it really matters to me, definitely not at that moment. All that matters to me is that plane in the sky, that man fishing, that windmill turning, that little girl on a horse back and those geese, somehow reminding me of Mother Theresa's quote “We cannot all do great things, but we can do small things with great love.”

I come home, park the car and cannot help but notice my poinsettia, again. I have been doing it for the last five months now. Invariably every Christmas I get one as a gift. Don't get me wrong. I love these plants but their shelf life is only so much. I have tried to save them too all these years but to no avail. So this year I choose to throw it out anyways before it dies. Yes, before it dies on me, I can only take so much! So I take it to the garage but my heart won't let me put it in the trash right away, so I set it in a corner waiting for it to die, so that I can just put it in the bin right there and guess what five months into the year, the plant is thriving. All it needed was some dark space and a little bit of water! Now, I water it once a week, letting it sit in the same spot and smile every time I walk into the house!

We work frantically, even manage to work thorough some tears and make what we think are beautiful paper bouquets for mothers on Mother's day! I have to confess that it is on a rare occasion that I see all my students feel happy about a project they have done. I feel proud of myself and my class, we figure out ways to hide the bouquets in back packs and I send off my students with a "Enjoy your weekend with your moms!" Come Monday, I am excited and ask how the weekend was and my heart breaks when a couple of them chose in all their innocence tell me "Don't know why Mrs.S, no matter what I do, mom always gets mad on Mother's day!" I feel their pain, give them a hug and assure them that moms still love them and their bouquets and that they have done an awesome job. I see their eyes brighten and I hope made a difference even if only a small one!

You know love spinning. Well let me put it this way, I spin because that is the only workout that fits into my schedule. It is a bonus that I have an awesome instructor and I look forward to going to the class. I most definitely feel it is worth it! That morning, I get on the spinning bike, noticing the sub for the day. I don't know about others but I feel drained ten minutes into the class. The music is really blah, the work out is so so. I watch as a couple of people leave the class mid way. I can understand. Almost everyone who comes so early in the morning on a regular is a certain type- you know what I mean! As I continue, I feel that I need to send some energy the instructors way. It takes all my reserve to persist and just as I am ready to leave after the forty five minutes complete class, the instructor walks up to me and says if I recognize her. Of course, I do then. We chat a little and she ends with a "I was so glad when I saw you walk into the class. Thank you for staying put. It made a difference"! I am glad my small deed of staying put mattered to her.

My student, an eight year old walks in with a candy for me. I thank her and leave it by me. She insists I eat and in turn I insist that I will eat later. As an after thought she brings out three more candies from her bag and gives it to me. My resistance won't help. So I take them gracefully and put them with the previous one. She looks at me and says "Eat it". Teasing her, I say "If you finish these two pages in the next ten minutes, I will eat one" and forget about it. Ten minutes into the class, she comes back and says "Eat it!" When I raise my eyebrows, she shows her work. I am touched. When I ask her as to why it is important to her that I eat the candy, without batting an eyelid, she says she wants me to be happy and since candies make her happy, she thinks they will make me happy too! Little things done with great love

 

Dear PS ma'm,

Thank you! I do consider myself fortunate for my day is spent in the midst of kids.

 

Dear Vani,

What can I say for such words of love and understanding? Thank you. I do have my moments and my students see me angry but there is that need me that wants to make a difference in any small way I can and their innocence always touches me. The students make all the difference. Even as I type this, all I see are the innocent faces flashing in front me with their wide, smiling eyes. I am truly fortunate to be able to teach. Thank you for your words and feedback.

 

Dear Cheeniya Sir,

Now you have made me speechless. Thank you for your words. Yesterday was indeed one of those days. I am fortunate to be able to experience days like that and try to express it. I am fortunate to have all of you to encourage and see what I see. And I cannot claim that you do not know me. You do! Thank you for making me feel understood. I can see my parents smiling down at me. Thank you!

 

I know right - that little kid with candies, Satchi! Her mom cannot fathom at all and is always teary eyed that her daughter shares this bond with me. This little one will not leave my side unless I force her to leave me. I agree with you that teaching gives such bliss - that window to peek into the innocence and purity of life is always open. We just have to peek in! Very rare are the days when I come home with a "Why the heck am I doing this?"

Thank you for your feedback and lovely words. In my mind every one sees what I see - how can they not and how can I think otherwise? You do see what I see