WAS SHE A 'SLOW LEARNER'?
There was this young
ninth-standard girl, who attended a few P.D. sessions a year ago. She was going
through a very low phase at that time… She hated being treated as a ‘slow
learner’ in school… She thought she was ‘normal’, but her teachers and
authorities felt she was ‘not normal’. It was her parents, particularly the
mother, who – like Edison’s mother did – refused to accept the ‘validation certificate’
of the teachers and school authorities… “We know our child better than anyone
else does,” asserted the parents, “we shall see that our child grows up confident
and compassionate.”
Two days ago, I received
a phone call from the young girl. “Sir, just wanted to share with you my joy… I
got 91% in ICSE tenth.”
I was happy for the
girl. I had not taught her any of her subjects… All that I had done was to help
her through our few P.D. sessions. “Sir, I can never forget those sessions in
my life,” the young lady said, “You came at the right time in my life… You put
my confidence back in me!”
To me, moments such
as this are very reassuring, to say the least. We all need someone to tell us,
most sincerely, “You did a difference in my life… Thank you.” When I make this confession,
I am not being insecure or egoistic… I am being simply normal… I need someone
like this young girl to tell me, “Sir, you matter… You are good” just as that
young girl needed someone like me to tell her, “Beta, you matter… You
are good.”
Yesterday, the
young lady, dressed like a pretty princess, came to see me along with her
parents. They were in my office for over an hour! “Sir, I think, if we get
ourselves ‘tested’ for our ‘normalcy’, you and I will be ‘certified’ as
abnormal (Special) in something or the other,” the mother of the young girl
joked, “the ‘labels’ are really damaging.”
Well, the purpose
of this Post is this: We do not express our gratitude enough. This girl and
their parents told me yesterday, that they had been to at least a dozen people
who they thought had helped the young one blossom into a confident soul. Many
young ones – and even their parents – do not consider this as an important
value and ingredient of personal growth…
In life, we cannot
do it on our own, no matter who we are… People help us along our way… People
touch us, inspire us and help us become whatever and wherever we are, now. We
need to go and tell them, “You made a difference in my life… Thank you.”
From the other
side, the lesser we keep this expectation, the better for our peace of mind. ‘Neki
kar daria mein daal’!
I agree… But, I am ‘normal’,
you see!
GERALD D’CUNHA
Pic.: Shraddha Sachdev
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