An investment

A P J Kalam says when people in their later years look back with bewilderment and regret, they will not be able to accept the choices made . They will wish for another chance .A meaningful old age comes out of a meaningful life.

I have been a teacher for more than two decades and have worked in various schools at Mumbai ,Hyderabad and Pune. I learnt that  the art of teaching was rampant in my blood genetically as my father was also one for a short time. Perhaps it was the respect for the profession by my family which helped me understand the nobleness of the endeavour. In our profession though we reek out values in children ,teachers envy each other for creativity,  a gain  in higher position like corporates without accepting what facilitating  knowledge means to this profession  mostly challenging their values . In the year 2005 I joined the school run by Chinchwad Malayalee Samaj and here I met my friend. Duly we understood we shared the same interests of art ,music ,teaching and many other things. She happens to be many years younger than me but is mature beyond my years in perception and behaviour. She was the one who kindled a spark in me to pursue my studies for which I will be ever grateful. As my husband works for a transferable job I weaned out and joined the Army School and this was nearer to the KendriyaVidyalaya where my son studied . This distance never perturbed our friendship as we met regularly during our evening walks. Her involvement in her school is total and her loyalty can never be questioned. She is a Gandhian in deeds with minimum needs and has principles which have influenced me at all times. When we are on walks we pluck petunias and discuss a still life drawing or sing songs which could used in our schools or converse about our students for betterment rather than for case studies.

One of those summer holidays she called me up excitedly and said she needed to share a good news and I consented to meet her. On reaching our normal meeting place we parked our scooters and began walking. She told me “do you know I have adopted two kids from the orphanage (name withheld) A  boy and a girl who  are around five and seven years old”. She explained that she would be shouldering their financial responsibilities. Many a times teachers aren't paid as corporate employees and taking up such a dependability for a teacher is financially a big constraint chiefly when the permanency of a job is not identified. I had nothing but  admiration for her as I have heard people invest in buying homes but a mere school teacher had invested in the future of India. I think we all need to make our own lives meaningful  too perhaps bonding with vision India.