Footprints

Footprints
The Right Choice
It is that time of the year again. When we welcome joy
and good cheer into our homes, when we sing carols,
decorate our houses, wear our best, and celebrate
with our near and dear ones. Christmas, the day Jesus
Christ was born, is one of the biggest celebrations
around the world. Anweshana is not an exception.
Here we celebrate Christmas every year with great
enthusiasm.
We had just returned from our trip to Goa and it was
the time for Christmas celebration. We thought about
many options but one thing was agreed upon: that the
entire celebration has to be meaningful. The message
of Christmas is after all spreading love and joy to
others. So then we thought why not spread it with
someone under privileged. We contacted the nearby
orphanage, where 40 girls of age 6 to 14 were living.
Fortunately their holidays had started and the nuns
happily agreed. But since they live in a small place
taking our children over there was difficult. When we
discussed it with Bharathi ma'am she readily let us
bring them to Anweshana. The gates of Anweshana
were always open for any such cause. So it was all
finalized. The girls were to come to Anweshana and
spend the whole day with our children, interacting,
learning, playing and having lunch with us. We
planned for a love meal where each child was to carry
an extra lunch box and share it with them.
After all the planning, the day had arrived and we all
were in for a surprise. Each child had not only carried
an extra lunch but also payasam, varieties of
homemade sweets and a box full of Agra petha. Even
the parents were in true Christmas spirit. We were
really overwhelmed. I can't forget one parent who
came with story books, fancy hair clips and hair bands
for the girls. Was he not the Santa Clause who
distributes gifts to the needy? Can we then really say
that Santa Clause is an imaginary person?
Our children were also no exception. They wanted to
share what they had learnt in the class with them,
explained various concepts, served food, sang and
when they danced clapped whole heartedly and
encouraged them.
The true spirit of Christmas comes when we find joy in
making others happy. Sacrificing our comforts to make
life more comfortable for others. This is precisely what
our children did .It was in all sense a proud day for us
adults in the class. If we could instil this virtue of
kindness and respect for fellow beings in our children
then I believe that they are getting the right
education. As Dr. Montessori rightly said...” If
education is always to be conceived along the same
antiquated lines of a mere transmission of knowledge,
there is little to be hoped from it in the bettering of
man's future."
It is also said that the entire life of a human being can
be represented with three alphabets ...B...C and D. B
stands for birth and D for death. In the middle is C
which represents all the choices man makes between
birth and his death. This year's Christmas was one
such right choice we did in our short life.
- Dunly Rajeev, Educator
Anweshana
Filled with kids who laugh and scream,
when we work, we always gleam.
Enjoying our lessons and having fun,
we work as a team all in one.
Going green has been our goal
in this task we’ve put our soul.
- Geethashri & Leah.
We cannot create observers by saying 'observe,' but by giving them the power and the means for this observation and these mea ns are procured
through education of the senses. - Dr Maria Montessori