I feel a lot can be changed in our lives positively if we acknowledge the work and sacrifices of others. But in this fast-moving world that we are part of, the good deeds of others go often unnoticed. We are so busy chasing what we want to achieve and racing from one time of our lives into another that we hardly remember to pause and express our feelings for others around us. We can compare this behaviour to the blinders that race-horses wear. They inhibit horses from looking anywhere else but forward and only focus on the path that they tread on. Although race-horses wear this by force, we, unfortunately, wear this by choice.
Some of our students do display this tendency. Some of our alumni return after a long time just to meet the teachers who taught them and show their gratitude with this simple gesture. . But this number is few. For this generation that is blessed with technology and advanced communication that connects people across the world, it should be easier for students to keep in touch with their mentors. But, this is not so.
It’s sad to see that students do not seem to use technology to connect with their school, their teachers, and many others who mattered to them at some point in their lives. The children of today, as in all ages, have been absolute wonders, each gifted with marvelous talents, a hard-working nature and it is no less than a pleasure to be a contributing factor to their growth.
But, as I mentioned earlier, Is it the rigorous work culture nowadays that is making them forget about the people in their past? Or just a lack of gratitude? Or is it this so-called “generation gap”?
Or perhaps, it is simply how they have been brought up. A rather extreme rendition of the phrase “don’t look back at your past”, even if it is merely to take a glimpse at the people who have helped them, or to realize the sacrifices others have made for their growth.
I wonder if parents nowadays encourage their children to thank their teachers. “They will pass. You will see a lot of teachers in the future”. That is true, teachers are hundreds, but the teaching is one. Once you have learnt something from someone, no matter who they are, you wouldn’t have to learn it again! And I feel if someone makes such an impact on you that the things you have learnt from them are something that you can carry on for a lifetime, they should not just be thanked, but enshrined. Maybe these lessons you learn from teachers go unnoticed, but they do exist. Students need to realize this and remember someone who spends their lives wishing for their success- their Teachers.
The thought of feeling grateful even if not conveyed should exist in the mind. This thank-you is different from what celebrities do on the stage whenever they win an award. It is not a formality, but a deep feeling.
It is as simple as looking back to a time, to people like one’s teachers, and expressing this deep feeling of gratitude. I feel a student-teacher bond is for a lifetime and both need to cherish and nurture it forever. Teachers look forward to hearing from their students, their life journeys, their achievements, and their growth. These moments are precious in the lives of a teacher and I wish all our students to value this aspect and this beautiful teacher-student relationship.
I am proud that I am part of the organization which respects and inculcates this value in the students and every member of its family. It is not only a daily practice to share a good thing or an affirmation but it is our culture.
