ALL my adult life, I’ve been a teacher. I have taught in grade school, high school, and now in college.
As I was journeying through my life as an educator, I’ve seen this ad from a coffee company that touched my heart the first time I watched it. The tag line from that ad was “Para kanino ka bumabangon?” That is probably one of life’s most essential questions.
Yes, I wake up for my kids every day for the past 15 years now. They say, if you do what you love, you'll never work a day in your life. I’ve truly been blessed to be given the chance to do what I’ve always wanted to do, and that is to make a difference in the lives of others.
When I was younger, I’ve dreamt about a lot of other things too. I had big dreams and plans for my future. I’ve always been very passionate with theater arts and film, and would have wanted to make it big in this field.
But then, there were limitations for that dream so I took a different path. I did not settle for less, but I took the road less travelled.
I became a teacher and didn’t ever regret that decision because after a few years of being in grade school, I transferred to high school department and there I got to live the dreams that the road less travelled brought me.
I became a theater and film director, my lifelong dream. But it’s not with the people in the big leagues but with kids who needed me. Here I got to live more than just my passion for the arts, I also got to live my life goal of making a difference in the lives of others.
And just like in the prayer of Fr. Arrupe, my love for my kids and my art was what seized my imagination for so many years. Fresh ideas for plays, films and pep talks got me out of bed in the morning.
Rehearsals and shootings were how I spent my weekends. Driving some of those kids home after a late night shooting or rehearsal was what I did during the evenings. I read a lot more so I could teach more. I got to know their families so I could tell them how amazing their child or sibling is.
But this also has given me the greatest heartbreak when it’s their time to leave. All these things amaze me with such joy and gratitude, so my usual prayer every day is “Thank you Lord for giving me the chance to love this much.”
And somehow, however beautiful a love story may be, all good things must come to an end. As a teacher, one major talent I have to develop is the art of letting go. Yes, even unconditional love, has that too.
I’m very privileged to have these kids in my life for a certain time but they all have to move on and grow, to also make a difference in this world. This is the hardest part sometimes.
As a major Star Wars fanatic (my twitter name used to be Jedi Master March), I have this one favorite scene from one of its episodes. Master Yoda talked to Anakin about death. But let me rephrase what Master Yoda said because we are not talking about death here but just simply letting go (though they can be equally painful).
"Letting go is a natural part of life. Rejoice for those around you who transform into the Force. Mourn them do not. Miss them do not. Train yourself to let go of everything you fear to lose."
As a jedi master, I’d like to call myself that because I’m a teacher and you actually become a teacher when you are a jedi master (that’s logic), I have mastered the art of letting go. It’s still very painful at times but I should rejoice because my kids transform into the higher force and would soon become great contributors of our society.
After each school year, they move on and get on with their lives. I have another batch to love again and so the cycle continues. However, despite all the pain, the greatest reward a teacher gets which cannot be sufficed with any material thing is the little thank you that these kids give me as I meet them somewhere, or when we message each other on social networking sites or when they actually have a published article in the newspaper about how I have touched their lives.
They say thank you for the little things, but the most touching part is when they show so much gratitude for believing in them when everybody else doubted. That is how great unconditional love is. Once you make a difference in someone’s life, it will remain forever.
I’m very proud of my kids. They will truly always be a special part of me.
Most of them are grown-ups now, a number of them even have kids and families of their own. Some are already CPAs, bankers, entrepreneurs, engineers, teachers, artists or are in law school, med school, and some are still around in the college where I have transferred in again to touch more lives.
So, let me end all this with an adage that I was able to coin while writing one of those plays we did a long time ago. It says, “For every artwork there is a piece of the artist’s soul.”
Every year, a piece of my soul is bared to these kids through the art of teaching. I have spent all my life with passion and love at its finest, which, can actually be summarized by a song that goes like this…
Kiss today goodbye,
And point me toward tomorrow.
We did what we had to do.
Won't forget, can't regret
What I did for Love
What I did for Love
So for everyone out there who has chosen this wonderful vocation of teaching, I implore you to keep on falling in love, staying in love, because it will surely decide everything. (March De Ramos)