Think Before You Do and Speak
This story is about Mayra. Mayra had a dark childhood. Her teacher bullied her a lot when she was 12 years old. Her teacher used to call her "pagal" (crazy), say she couldn’t do anything, that her parents hadn’t taught her anything, and called her a dumbo and a donkey.Her teacher bullied her until she was 15.
For three years, she hated going to school and dreaded her teacher. She used to cry alone, and every single day, she felt afraid to go to school.The bullying tormented her so much that she became quiet at home. She stopped laughing.
At an age when children are usually lively, she hardly laughed. She didn’t know how to express her feelings to her parents. She didn’t understand what she was going through but knew it wasn’t right.
When she was 15, her parents found out about the bullying. They were busy with work and had four children; Mayra was the third child. They changed her school. Although it was easy to change schools, the jolly Mayra was lost.
In her new school, Mayra was afraid to go. She couldn’t express her feelings to anyone. She went to school, but when the teacher entered, she started trembling. She could barely utter a "good morning" and didn’t talk to anyone in her class.
This continued for a few days.Slowly, her teachers started to notice her behavior, and her parents told them about her past. The teachers began to talk to her in every class. They calmly asked about her well-being and involved her in activities.Gradually, she started feeling less afraid. She began talking to the children around her and started smiling.
She learned that the teachers at this school were different.
They didn’t shout when she made mistakes; instead, they politely corrected her.
They didn’t punish her for silly mistakes or hit her with a stick when she didn’t say anything.
They treated her like a child, not a thing.
They wanted her to be happy and to love everyone.
They understood her emotions and her.
Their love and care helped Mayra return to her original self. She started speaking to her friends and family. She no longer hated herself. She realized she could do something with her life and was capable. She started having self-confidence.
One day, suddenly in the market, she saw her old teacher who used to bully her. She was initially afraid but then decided to meet her and say something. She approached her and said, “Good morning, teacher. How are you?”
The teacher replied, “I am fine. What about you?”
Mayra responded, “Absolutely fine. All thanks to you, teacher. Because of you, I changed a lot, and I am grateful to you. I learned a valuable lesson in life and want to share it with you: never keep quiet when something wrong happens to you or in front of you. Bye, teacher.”Mayra walked away without turning back.
She wanted to say a lot of things but didn’t want to break her values. She still considered her a teacher.
There was something wrong with the teacher. She looked very thin, with a face full of wrinkles and dark circles. She looked tired.
The reality of the teacher was that she got suspended a year after Mayra left. She was punished and could no longer be a teacher. People made her realize her mistakes and the impact her actions had on children.
When children are small, they are like wet mud that can be molded. If handled with love and care, it will turn into a beautiful pot, but if force is applied, the mud will fall apart and become unusable.
your actions can leave a permanent scar not just on children but also on any person. For you, it may be just fun, but for them, it is a punishment for a mistake they never committed.
Moral of the Story
Know that what you say has an effect on others.
Know that how you treat people also affects them.
Your actions can have a lasting impact.
The choice is yours: to leave a good effect or a bad one. So be careful of what you do and say.
Lastly, I want to conclude with a quote:
Thank you for reading. Keep smiling 😊.
