Letter to a Student
Author: Mrs. Snehal Rajan Jani
Dear Student,
Surprised to receive this letter, aren’t you? You must be wondering, “Who could have written it? Why would they write it?” and so on... Don’t worry. Read this letter carefully. Keep your mind completely calm and your thoughts steady. Read it without letting any unnecessary thoughts enter your mind.I know you are not very interested in studying. To be honest, who really is?
Today, education has become a matter of rote learning, and a marksheet has become the key to achieving success in life! Yet, there are still many places where greater importance is given to an individual’s skills and abilities rather than merely to these pieces of paper.Do not feel disheartened because of your studies or your results.
I know that most parents expect more from their children than their actual capabilities sometimes allow. They may expect their children to achieve what they themselves could not achieve due to circumstances. For this reason, from an early age, they provide their children with more material comforts than necessary and pamper them excessively. Perhaps the same is happening with you too!If you are reading this letter carefully and trying to understand what it is saying, then make a decision today itself: either you will become what you want to become, or you will make every possible effort to become what your parents want you to become.
But if you fail, do not lose courage or put your life at risk.One failure does not determine the direction of your entire life. If, even after making every possible effort within your capacity to reach your goal, you do not achieve a satisfactory result, understand that perhaps this is not your true goal. Change your goal and choose one that you genuinely like and that allows you to develop and make use of the skills you possess.If you feel that you have no talent or ability at all, that is the biggest mistake you can make in understanding yourself. Every individual possesses some ability or another. Talk to yourself. Discover the hidden talent within you and build a bright career using that very talent.You yourself can see how many brilliant students, even those who consistently achieve top ranks, become so exhausted under the burden of studies that they take an extreme step like suicide. Mental stress and our constantly changing and experimental education system are among the reasons behind such tragedies. But instead of being overwhelmed by all this, you must learn one thing: no matter what situation arises, you must remain mentally strong. You may feel disappointed at times, but never give up hope.
Whenever a situation seems to be going beyond your control, sit quietly and close your eyes. Join your hands and pray to the God in whom you have faith. Do not ask God for anything. Simply remember the name of the Lord. You will experience for yourself that you are beginning to find a solution to your problem.
As a teacher, I could never bear to see a child taught by me become so hopeless that they take such an extreme step. A child may take such a step, but they may never be able to imagine what their parents would go through afterwards. Parents always want what is best for their child. If you feel that you cannot progress in the field you are currently studying, explain your feelings to your parents calmly and patiently. Create a situation in which they develop faith in your abilities and trust your decision.
Believe me, they will eventually understand and support you! That is all I want to tell you. I hope that after reading this letter, you have understood that this precious life should never be given up for a trivial reason. One may renounce the world and become a saint, but one should never abandon the life given by God.
Yours sincerely,
Your teacher,
who constantly strives for the mental strength and well-being of her students,
Snehal Jani.
The letter reaches every student in the classroom at their respective seats. After reading it, they all look at one another. A remarkable sense of confidence appears on some faces, while tears of emotion begin to flow from the eyes of others.
The teacher, Snehal, who has been watching the scene from outside, deliberately waits for ten minutes before entering the classroom. The students, who had always been afraid of this teacher because of her strictness, now stand before her with remarkable confidence and give her a written promise:“I will remain courageous throughout my life and will never take my own life.”For a while, complete silence fills the classroom. Then, once again, everyone becomes absorbed in their studies.The children were no longer afraid of this teacher. Instead, they had developed immense respect for her.
Thank you.
Snehal Jani
