The family education saga: another chapter ends

In the early 1970s, Manda Subbalakshmi, had to choose between being a sportswoman (Handball), a Commercial Tax Inspector, and a primary school teacher. She chose to join the Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan as a Primary Teacher, though she continued to play sports competitively. One day, she landed awkwardly while jumping during a handball match and tore the ligaments completely out of her left knee. Her doctors advised her to rest her leg completely, forget sports entirely, and take up a desk job. That was in 1979.

On June 30, 2009, Manda Subbalakshmi retired after thirty eight years of service in the Kendriya Vidyalaya. Every single evening, she came back home with her kness swollen. Every single morning, she was the first one in the family to get ready to go back to school! On seven different occassions she was told that she would not be able to take another step in her life. On all seven occassions she was back on her feet in less than a week.

She taught whatever she was asked to teach: Hindi, Social Studies, English and occasionally everything else. She taught just about everything she knew, and she kept learning more. She is one those people who learns how to do something simply because it is there to be learnt: Knowledge for its own sake.

I don't know how much I learnt from her. But I do know I'll treasure two ideas she inculcated in me.

1. The only opinion that ultimately matters is your own. Never let anyone tell YOU what YOU are worth. Never let anyone tell you what you CAN or CANNOT do.
2. Never give anyone the responsibility of making decisions for you. Never blame anyone for the way your life turns out.

Wishing my Mum has a lot of fun as she embarks on her next assignment: Imparting her wisdom to her first grandchild!
Thanks, Amma!