Tilt # 9 - Receive with gratitude

I received this Christmas card yesterday from a former student and bawled my eyes out. She sent it in via her younger brothers who are not even in my class. She was a francophone when I first met her in Grade One. A young girl with a strong French accent, curious and fearless about acquiring a second language. I told her mom at the very first parent- teacher interview that I could see type-A leadership in this young one. At the end our five years together, she graduated in the top quadrant of my advanced English class (comfortably and confidently bilingual) and was a tireless leader in the WE Club (a club meant to lead kids to empower other kids).

I was sad to see her go after graduation but she was more than ready to face her next big chapter. I miss her and many others terribly, especially when new batches of students and parents refuse to trust me in how I shape our journey in moulding second language learners and world citizens. Every time I wonder about my purpose, I receive something unsolicited and life-giving like this.

After the tears subside, I will dust off hurtful comments from ignorant and entitled people, and rise up again to take my place as world change agent. After all, I need to be who I truly am because I have heard it said that those who matter, don't mind and those who mind, don't matter.

Note to self: do everything it takes to carve out time to write my books!