Little D - The Girl Who Taught Her Teacher About Life.

Sometimes, children can teach us lessons in Life.

At 10, Student D was a doe-eyed lass who found favour with her earnest fervour, determination and positive attitude. Student D was the apple of my eye. I loved her as my own. (I still do.)

Then, her mother fell prey to liver cancer and chose meditation over medication. She passed away in a month, leaving D with her brother who was in Primary One. D also had to switch schools immediately as her aunt and grandparents became their primary caregivers. (There were issues with her father that I cannot disclose.)

The changes which D had to adapt to were harsh and abrupt.

At the wake, I held D in my arms and when opportunity arose, I had a private conversation with her.
"D, I'm going to tell you a secret. This is a secret that nobody knows at school, not even the teachers and I know I can trust you, just as you have trusted me - My dad left and never returned home after leaving for work one day. Like you, I was left alone with someone else to care for - my mum. All of a sudden, I was forced to grow up. When peers were choosing foreign universities for studies and leisure, I sacrificed that opportunity and stayed in Singapore because my mother was alone.

Why am I telling you this? You may feel that you have to sacrifice in future because you are the oldest sibling. You may have to make difficult decisions on your own. You may feel that your childhood has been robbed, that life is unfair.

I went through that at 20 and I know how you must feel when you're only 10. It was tough for me and I'm not going to lie to you. It will be difficult. There will be many obstacles to overcome. But you have always been a mature and sensible girl. You always offer me sweet encouragement whenever you see that I am down. You're a sharp and smart girl in Life. I love you very much and I know that you will pull through this painful period."
She gazed at me in silence. Brimming with tears, she spoke and her reply broke my heart. "I have to grow up. I'm no longer a child. I have to be a mother to my brother because my mother is no longer with us. I cannot be selfish and think of myself. I have to take care of my brother. Ms Teo, I want to be as kind and loving as you."
At that instant, I saw myself in little D. I shared her pain. There she was, a petite girl whose cheery naivete had been replaced with pragmatism. Unashamedly, I wept with her. That was the special moment that defined our bond.

She is now 17 years of age and will be off to college in a couple of days. All this while, I've kept in touch with her. Little D aspires to be just like me (!!) and constantly tells me so.

I'm very proud of how she has turned out. Given the early challenges in life, the perceived disadvantage of being in a neighbourhood school and ploughing through the prerequisite academia without tuition, it is a-s-t-o-u-n-d-i-n-g that she has scored 10 points for her 'O' Levels. After taking into account her illustrious CCA & CIP contributions, her final score is S-I-X points! (Take that, elite snobs!) She was also in the Student Council and had the honour of being voted Prom Queen recently.

Today, I thought of little D.

As I did so, I chided myself. "I may have burdens that peers of my age are blessed without; I may have had Regrets in Life. But Little D has suffered more than I have at a tender age. She's a survivor and she has pummelled through Life with the little that she has. YOU ARE HER TEACHER. YOU HAVE BEEN HER ROLE MODEL FOR THESE SEVEN FLEETING YEARS. SHE LOOKS UP TO YOU. YOU ARE WHAT SHE ASPIRES TO BE. Look at your students and how you've fashioned miracles out of them. If you can do that with children, why do you fall flat in your own puddle? Get up on your feet! Think of Little D!"
And so, I decided to forge ahead.

Thank you, Little D.

Your teacher has been taught - by you. =)