Unexpected Teachers.

 Unexpected Teachers.

 

We grow up being taught by teachers in a classroom, our parents, friends, mentors, and books, and we believe that they have the answers to all our questions.

Then life comes along, bringing lessons wrapped in  pain, joy, grief, loss, illness, silence, heartbreak,our bodies,  creatures of the earth, and it's time to take notes again. These teachers don’t stand at blackboards or wear titles and labels. You don’t look out for teachers such as these; they come to you.

Nature teaches you the art of patience. You develop patience while waiting for a flower to bloom. I learnt about grief when I lost my parents. It taught the value of what I had. It has taught me to continue living and survive the loss and not break down. It has taught me to cherish the memories.  Who can teach you better about failure than failure itself? Failure is cruel but brilliant.  Failure imparts lessons in humility, resilience, and the ability to start anew.Our bodies impart lessons on nutrition, illness, rest, and the consequences of neglect. 

A dog will teach you about loyalty and unconditional love, and children, besides teaching you about living in the moment, also give you lessons in patience, forgiveness, and curiosity.  Joy teaches you gratitude, and boredom helps you tap your creativity. Pain gives you lessons in empathy. You can understand another’s pain and not just sympathise. Strength reveals to us the depth of our own hidden strength that surfaces and helps us survive. In a cacophonic world, silence helps you connect with yourself. It soothes your nerves.

Learning doesn’t end with a book or in a classroom. It continues with every sunrise and sunset, pause and breath. These unexpected teachers are the ones that we wish we could avoid, but they turn up imparting valuable lessons and it is for us to listen, ask, or hear and allow them to change us for the better. 

This post is part of BlogChatter Half Marathon2025

Image credit: Gemini.