Teacher Pat

what does it mean to live? somehow that question just popped into my head this afternoon as i attended the necrological service for teacher pat magno-abanto. as i listened to her former students recount their experiences and fond memories of her.. as i watched a number of people wiping away tears.. i stood there at the hot, humid 3-6 bulwagan, transfixed. i meant to stay only for a couple of minutes.. but found myself unable to - not because of anything else - but because suddenly i was aware of all the thoughts and emotions this simple service brought about in me.

teacher pat was my teacher in kindergarten. truth be told, i don't remember much about her - or my kindergarten days. i only know that she was one of my teachers whom i felt comfortable with. i liked her smile. i liked her voice.. even though at first she seemed "mataray." i liked the way she'd say hi to me. i liked the way she made me feel important then.

long years passed. i moved on to elementary, high school, college and then back to my alma mater to teach. i saw teacher pat once more. i heard she was a cancer survivor.. but that she'd started feeling sick again. there were physical signs of the disease.. in the way she moved, how she held her arm.. but whenever i watched her, the weaknesses and infirmities never registered longer than a few seconds. each time i looked at her, all i could see and feel was her energy. her enthusiasm. her drive. her passion for life.

for 17 long years, teacher pat battled with her cancer. one would probably think that she was someone to be pitied because of all the suffering she endured. but as i stood alone at the service, listening to all the wonderful stories people had about how a simple teacher touched their lives, i realized something. teacher pat was not someone to be pitied. she was someone to be admired. and possibly emulated. her disease only served to bring out more poignantly the inner beauty she possessed. her hard work, words of encouragement and simple dedication to her students, friends and family.. these were turned into remarkable feats of courage. in spite of all the pain she suffered, teacher pat had time, energy and compassion for others.

i cherish my memories of my kindergarten teacher. i know she taught me well in my early years. but i guess the best lessons teacher pat ever taught me are the ones she gave me today: stop complaining. love what you do. perform simple acts of kindness. listen to others. learn to see the silver lining behind the clouds. be grateful for even the smallest things. trust in God. live to the fullest.

i will miss you teacher pat. thank you for everything..