There's an enthralling quote by Jess Lair which says, "Children are not things to be moulded but people to be unfolded," and who couldn’t agree more! Parents often desire to mould their child’s life and choose their futures for them. But once we understand that these juvenile beings are not mud pots to be moulded but are beautiful buds that are yet to bloom into diverse flowers, we then water them with the various options from which they can unfold their petals with the colour of their choice, rather than the constrained growth and paint of colours of their parent’s aspiration.
Just as Swami Chinmayananda- one of the most renowned and spiritual teachers of India, once said, "Children are not vessels to be filled, but lamps to be lit!"
The teachers at Seekh are mere friends of the students. It was quite surprising to see a student share her daily woes and views with her teacher just like she would with another friend. What's even more stunning is the motive behind this. When a student really trusts and loves a teacher and shares his/her problems, the teacher guides them through it, warning them about the hurdles in their path and at the same time, motivating them! Hence, the takeaway from this quote is to live by it, not just by overindulging the children's brains with knowledge but also lighting the lamps of guidance in their paths.
But if you're wondering how a student is spellbound into viewing the teacher as a friend, I'm pretty sure you're not aware of what Seekh is at all!! But yes, I can assure you there is no sorcery involved here. The reason for their trust is that the teachers are mere young adults too! They've almost just jumped those hurdles that the children are yet to jump. This can be seen in a positive light as learning from one’s mistakes and teaching others not to do the same is the best way one could grow as a person!
Children as we know are considered to be equivalent to God due to their gift of innocence. And that's exactly what I saw and heard when I spoke to Poojitha, a student of Seekh. She works on both her school syllabus as well as a cultural dance form-Bharatanatyam ! What's most astonishing is that her parents and their landlord watch with unparalleled interest when she dances for Seekh during our various events. Now, I really understood why we celebrate an entire day in the name of "children" and their "innocence" when I asked her who her favourite teacher is. She told me in her sing-song voice that she adores “Poojitha ma'am and Rishika ma'am” who teach her Bharatanatyam. Although when asked to pick one from the duo, she stated, “I can never do that as it would make the other teacher feel bad,” which was heart-warming to hear. I was absolutely melted by that innocent care and love for her teachers and understood why we dedicate an entire day to these little beings!!
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