Walking Around with a Heavy Heart

My work allows me to constantly interact with young people. This is one of the things that I love about my job. They make me feel younger than I truly am. I always feel this positive vibe that emanates from them whenever they surround me. And, words would never be enough to express how honored I feel whenever they would look at me as if I am the smartest person around. I  now understand why my colleagues would say that the classroom provides them refuge since it is indeed one of those places where we truly feel that we are doing something right.

Last week, I received the tragic news that a former student got into a vehicular student. He sustained head injuries so severe that he had to be airlifted to Cebu. He is now in a comatose state. Luckily, he is a scion of one of the most affluent families in the city so they have access to the best medical care. Despite this, the family had been informed by the doctors that even if he would recover, he would be left with permanent damage to his physio-neurological skills. I felt EXTREMELY sad when I heard this. In fact, I even had to take a seat while the news was relayed to me. That time it seemed as if  energy was zapped out of my body.  Memories of him talking to me last year flashed in my mind. I remember seriously threatening him that I'd drop him in my class due to his absences and he would retort by telling me sob stories (a common modus unfortunately). He constantly pestered me for consideration and would follow me around school pleading his case and so I ultimately gave in. In the following semesters, he would always greet me boisterously in the hallway and though I would get embarrassed, such incidents make me laugh.

I pray to God that he would recover. For his sake and for his family. And I swear I will help in whatever way I can to help bring back again that young lad who somehow touched my life.