“One time I sat down and all I could think about were the different problems in my life. Just as I reached the point where I could feel the tears forming, my four-year-old son came over and sat by my side. He sensed that something was wrong and wanted to make me feel better. When he saw me crying, he even pretended to cry too – but he had no tears to cry and just imitated my sobbing. It was silly, but I knew it was his attempt to show me that I am not alone, in happiness and in sadness. His empathy at such a young age melted me. So at that moment, I hugged him tightly and felt better knowing I had him as a son. I’ve been teaching at Kopila Valley’s preschool for the past six years, and my son joined the nursery class this year. Now, I get to be his mother and teacher. Balancing both roles has taught me a lot, but I also discovered that the children are more often our teachers. They teach us to be empathetic, they humble us, and correct us sometimes when we don’t practice what we preach.”