We enjoyed a ruckus of a time. Games were held, and the children were asked to choose their teachers to participate. To see the children from my class, who were once withdrawn from me and unwilling to open up when we first met, cheering and screaming my name to represent their class was a special feeling, to say the least.
I wish each of you knew, you have transformed my life much more than I think you will ever know.
I've always admired the teaching profession. Had I not been called to medicine, I would've gladly become a pre-school teacher. Now that I'm in medicine, I continue to enjoy teaching my juniors whenever I can. I admire many of my pre-university teachers so much, because at every point, they showed me the way and guided me, gave me not only interests to pursue, but saw me as not who I was, but who I could become.
And I realised, I wanted the same for you, too.
There was a segment where one representative from each class was to come forward to say a little prayer for the teacher. So it was most special for me, when you, little Darius (you're not even from my class, ha) came up to me with your big toothless grin and said, "I WANT TO PRAY FOR YOU."
You're only five, and your courage to come forward made me beam madly with joy. Most of all, I was moved.
And you prayed, clearly and beautifully, with much earnestness and sincerity, "DEAR GOD, PLEASE BLESS JIEJIE WAIJIA, SO SHE CAN BE HEALTHY AND STRONG... er.... AMEN!"
There were tears in my eyes, because I guess you didn't know I had cried my eyes out just 2 days ago when I drew those drawings, because I had had enough of being injured, had had enough of feeling, in some way, mad at God. And you didn't know that you gave me the confidence to try and run again in spite of the pain. And I realised, after 2 short slow runs this week, that the doctor was right, that if I can just bear with the pain for a bit this week, it should go away, because I am just trying to rehabilitate a disused muscle back to its original state. My leg feels better already.
And then you hugged me and planted a huge toothless kiss on my cheek.
little Darius saying a prayer for me
Happy Teachers' Day to all the teachers out there who have made a difference to my life.
You have taught me more than math or chemistry or literature or science.
You have taught me about life and how to live.
And to the doctors who have inspired me,
thank you for teaching me what it means to love my patients.
If all goes well,
I will be a doctor next year
because of how you gave of yourself to people like me,
because of what you invested into my life,
and because of your faith in me.
I teach now, both in Sunday School, and my juniors in hospital,
because of your example to me.
Happy Teachers' Day.
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