PureInsight | November 1, 2007
[PureInsight.org] One day, my friend, an elementary school teacher, told me this story about a little boy.
He is seven years old with two black, lucid, soft, and innocent eyes.
When you look into his eyes, you feel that they are filled with tears
like the water in the pond, moving gently but not overflowing.
He lives with his grandmother and his parents are divorced and remarried and each have their own families.
His grandmother has such a small income from her pension that they can
either buy food or clothes, but not both. But he is very mature and
understanding.
This little boy is so young, but you cannot imagine his
sensitivity. My friend gave me an example: Students normally use
exercise note books. When they are used up, everyone just starts using
a new book and no one thinks anything about it. One time, during
recess, all of the students were playing on the playground except him.
He timidly came to my desk and handed a pencil to me. He said,
"Teacher, would you mind correcting my exercises with a pencil? Then I
can erase it afterwards and it will look like new."
My teacher friend said, "His face was so pure. Do you know that when I
looked at his eyes, I almost cried? I took the pencil and told him, '
Let this be our secret and I will grade your exercises with symbols
that only the two of us understand.'"
He was so happy that he rushed out of the classroom and joined the
other playing children. In the following weeks, sure enough, my friend
used that pencil to correct his school work. My friend told him, "If
you do everything correctly, I will write the word 'excellent' and you
can erase it easily."
The little boy kept his school work excellent for a long time.
When the little boy had his birthday, my friend gave him 100 exercise
note books. She told him that they were rewards for his excellent
school work and also their shared secret.
That day, we were having tea by a roadside cafe. We watched many young
people walk by and recalled the days of our childhood. We were
both loved and cared for by our parents and teachers and have never
learned how to protect the self-respect of others.
My friend was quite moved and said, "I did not realize that this little
boy had really taught me something. He made me understand that I should
never laugh at others' requests and suggestions. Everyone' lifestyle
has its reason and dignity. Therefore, respecting someone is most
important."
Translated from:
http://xinsheng.net/xs/articles/gb/2004/10/23/29335.htm
