The Kindness of Innocent Hearts
By Lokanath Mishra
In a small government school , Lisa, a kind and compassionate teacher, stood in front of her Class V students, promising them a reward for getting the first position in an upcoming test. The prize was two hundred rupees, enough to buy a new pair of shoes, and the students’ eyes lit up with excitement.
When the test results were announced, Lisa was faced with a dilemma. Twenty students had scored the same marks, and she didn’t know how to decide who should get the prize. She asked the students for suggestions, and they proposed a lucky draw.
Each of the twenty students wrote their name on a slip of paper, and Lisa mixed them in a box. With a smile, she picked one slip, and the students held their breaths as she read out the name: “Lipsa.” The students clapped, and Lipsa stood up, tears streaming down her face. She was overjoyed, as she desperately needed new shoes to replace her torn and old ones.
But when Lisa got home, she couldn’t stop crying. She had checked the other slips in the box, and every single child had written “Lipsa’s” name on their slip. Lisa realized that the children had sensed Lipsa’s pain and helplessness and had selflessly wanted her to have the shoes.
Lisa felt ashamed of her own insensitivity and was moved by the kindness and empathy of her students. She realized that teaching children empathy and generosity was one of the most important lessons she could impart. The incident left a lasting impact on Lisa, and she made sure to nurture the spirit of kindness and compassion in her students.
From that day on, Lisa made a conscious effort to encourage her students to be more empathetic and understanding towards each other. She used the incident as a teaching tool, discussing the importance of kindness and selflessness in class. And as the years went by, her students grew up to be compassionate and caring individuals, always looking out for one another.
The incident had taught Lisa a valuable lesson: that children are capable of great kindness and empathy, and it’s the teacher’s job to nurture and encourage these qualities. And as she looked at her students, she knew that she had made a difference in their lives, and they had made a difference in hers.