Goodbye For Now

I said my first 'goodbye' to my Form 3 students tonight. There'll be 2 more coming up. Phew!

Every year, I have to gather up my courage and strength to do what I feel is one of the hardest things in life - saying 'goodbye' (the other being 'letting go'). While the latter would more aptly describe a parent's biggest worry, sometimes, being a teacher is also like being a parent. We teach, guide, nurture, discipline... listen... comfort... things that most caring parents would do for their children.

While I've yet to experience being a parent, I can imagine how much harder that would be. Afterall, parents have to find some way of letting go of their children, having looked after them for a quarter of their lives.

As teachers, we're not as privileged as most parents are, having only 5 years at most to 'look after' our students. Still, that's not to say the process of 'letting go' for teachers is any easier. For one such as myself... it's extremely hard.

So, as I faced my class of bright-eyed 15-year-olds tonight, I tried my best to console myself of the fact that we might see each other again next year. Though I can't expect all of them to return, the possibility of it still gives me hope... and I guess that's what made it a little easier for me this time. In previous years, I would have gone straight into my car and sobbed right after. Tonight, I managed to even smile to myself as I recalled the good times we've had... and as I drove off, something deep inside told me it would just be 'goodbye for now'.

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"I'm only your teacher as long as you're my student; I'm only your friend as long as you're mine."