“I am sorry”, said the pencil to the eraser.
“What for?” asks the eraser.
“I am sorry, I hurt you. Everytime I make a mistake, you are there to erase it. And every time you erase one of my mistakes, you lose a bit of yourself. You become weaker and smaller.”
“You shouldn’t really worry”, responded the eraser. “I was meant to help you whenever you made a mistake and I am happy doing my job. And I know one day, I’ll be gone but while I am around, I take pride in knowing I did my bit to help erase your mistakes. Keep writing; Remember, never be scared to make a mistake. There will always be an eraser around to set it right.”(Source - Prakash Iyer, “Secrets of Leadership,” Penguin Books, 2013, 243.)
Give it a thought: We’ll probably recognise that our parents and teachers were the erasers early on in our lives while we were the pencils - sharp, pointed and colourful. Every time when we made a mistake, they were there to correct us. They gave a bit of themselves, so that we could emerge looking just a bit better each time.
While the teachers were paid to do their job, our mothers worked selflessly 24*7 to make a difference to our lives and to the society. In the process, she kept losing a bit of herself to make us better. She was creating the future generation and making it better everyday by losing a bit of themselves.
There is another great thing about teacher and mothers that makes them truly special. Their ability to look at every child or student and see the genius inside. They appreciate that we are all different and possess a unique strength or skill. They mentor and motivate the genius inside every individual to blossom and become the best they can be.
Remember that tomorrow's world would be determined by the kind of mothers and teachers we have today. So, every mother/teacher should feel proud that even if they are not paid/paid less, they are doing the most important job and have a great responsibility in their shoulders. They are building the better future so that the world becomes a better place to live in. Pick up a pencil and send a message to your parents, a previous teacher or a mentor to thank them for being such a kind eraser in your life. See the strength of gratitude, it gives a great satisfaction in life.
Human Beings as the name says, are always BEING in the process of learning and are not perfect. If you make mistakes, it’s alright and confirms that you are a real human being. The moment you stop making mistakes, you have stopped learning. Keep making mistakes and keep learning!
Divyang Sharma (a Dreamer and a Learner)
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