My father taught me. Part 1

I believe that different people comes to your life to teach you something. Everybody is where needs to be and that there are certain things we need to go through, don't ask me why, I don't think anybody can answer that.
My students are researching about social issues and poverty is one of those topics, so I like to tell them a little true story.
My father came from a very poor family, he lived in a border town, the same town I was born, and I had the luck to learn to appreciate so many things thanks to him. He was a still a kid when his father send him and his older brother to work and try to earn some money, my father found a man who was make small ornaments and sculptures in the street and ask him to give him the chance to sell them, he looked at my father and said "You will steal all my decorations" how could you blame him. My father stared at him and said in a serious tone " I promise I will sell them all and come back" something in that child's eyes convinced him, so he agreed. My father came back after two hours with no decorations left and the money for the man, which he shared with my father.
Today I woke up feeling happy, happy for the life I got, happy for the tears I've shed, happy for the moments I've lived. I am where I want to be and I enjoy everything I have, everything I've been working hard to build. Friendship, love, self respect, self-esteem. I am grateful.
Thank you dad, for teaching me to do my best and to learn all I can, and to be brave enough to try everything.

Positive... for sure

It is funny how people can see a different us depending on where we are, we might show the same essence but we are not the same.
I usually hear complains, mostly from my fiancè, about how I can be negative at some point in life but, I don't consider myself that way. I am a person who sees what it is, not more, not less, and I truly believe in the good of humanity, but I've also developed in life the ability to observe people, their culture and education and from that, make an educated prediction on how they might react to any situation and... I don't go against odds. Do I make mistakes? Sure, I'm only human, but most of the times I don't.
Now, if you ask for me at work, they would probably say, she is a joyful positive person, which I am. How can you not when you're surrounded by the future, all young kids and teens, ready to spread their wings and fly. Believing in them is the least we owed them, having hope for a better future and making sure they believe it too.
Are our students a product of their education and culture? Yes, so, what is the difference? Us, we have the responsibility, luck and honor to be part of their education, we can share the experiences we've collected over time. There is something I hear many times, "Nobody learns from other people's mistakes" but I don't completely agree, isn't that what empathy is for?
Am I positive about the future? For sure, or I wouldn't be here, teaching, helping build the future if I weren't.