PUT YOUR BEST FOOT FORWARD

 

“I enter this house with a happy heart…

May I give birth to children,

Who observe the path of righteousness (dharma)!

May this house that I enter today be prosperous forever

And never be deficient in food!

May this house be populated by people

Of virtue and pious thoughts.”

Remember this mantra?

I am not asking this to my wife… Even though it was supposed be a mantra every woman has to recite before she steps into her new home… Yes, putting her ‘right’ foot forward!

I am asking this to myself!

I had spoken passionately today, in my early morning class, before the young kids. It was the first session of their CPT course. (the entrance test for CA). The class had started, and one of my dearest students, Aakansha*, had still not come. More than twenty minutes had gone by, and others were waiting. I was waiting. I had even called up her home and reminded her mom, early this morning. 

So, I wanted Aakansha to be there… It was the first session, very important… I wanted those young kids to start with a very up-beat, very inspired frame of mind… I wanted them to be very committed, very passionate and motivated about what world they were longing to get into. 

Clearing the entrance test was not my concern. Clearing the ‘cobwebs’ was.

Preparing them to score well was not my emphasis. Preparing them to become fine professionals was.

Therefore, I did not want my dear student, Aakansha, to miss out on what I had to say even before they would open their book… I wanted all of them to put their best foot forward. Make the best possible impression. The very best their heart could give! Yes, nothing short of the very best.

Too much?

Too serious?

Well, at 53, today, I had the reason to be there for this first session at least fifteen minutes before. Hundreds and hundreds of students have come and gone in my life, for years and years on. What was the reason for me to be there like that… this Sunday early morning… and make the first best – very best – impression?

I could have taken a chance… After all, the sky would not have fallen, and I would not have gone bankrupt even if I had made my grand entry after half-an-hour. I could have gotten away with that. Honestly.

But, I prayed this morning; yes, really I did: 

“Lord, I enter this class room with my happy heart…

May I be able to work 

With the same zeal and passion of a missionary,

Patience of a monk,

Love and care of a mother,

The wonder of a child,

Humility of a faithful…

May there be bread on my table always,

May my wife and son never go hungry…

May the fire eternally burn in my soul…

May my everyday be the ‘maiden day’ of my life…

Yes, my Lord, I enter this world, today, with my best foot forward…

Please bless me… Have mercy on me.” 

We waited… and, the waiting was all worth it. After our Aakansha had settled down, I spent close to another twenty minutes on what I wanted to say... Yes, straight from my heart.


It was my maiden day… I had to put my best foot forward. My young students had to… Dear Aakansha had to…

Hope, my dear students did not go home grumbling in their minds, “It is too much!”

* Name is changed

GERALD D’CUNHA

Pics.: Roopa Sushil