Mentoring

I volunteer as a mentor for grade four students in a nearby elementary school. Every Saturday morning, my fellow mentors and I talk to the kids about heroism, nationalism, environment. They sing, draw, graph. It's good fun. The kids are really smart, they're well-behaved, and they really are like sponges. They take in everything you say.

My first mentee is the littlest of them all. Rozela, being 8, is the youngest of the group. Recently, I also took in Jericho. He didn't belong to a permanent mentor so I asked if I could handle him so he would have a sense of constancy.

We are scheduled for a field trip every after module. For the first one, we all went to the National Museum. And afterwards, the kids were invited for a special screening of the animated movie "Up" in Trinoma by corporate sponsors Chevron and Koliska.

I suppose I could tell you about how refreshing it was to see the kids' faces as they stared in amazement at the museum displays. Hundreds of jars retrieved from wreckage. Bones, clothings, cannons. Yes, they were really amazed. And it was fun to see them get amazed. During the movie, they laughed with reckless abandon. They sat on the edge of their seats, eyes wide-open, not wanting to miss anything. It was so endearing.

But what I simply wanted to take away from that experience is the newfound respect for parents who bring their kids to the mall. I kept on catching myself counting the kids in sight. 1, 2, 3, 4... 10. It should always add up to ten. You hold one little hand in your left, and in your other hand, another little hand which is connected to two other little hands. And then you ask them not to let go of each other and to keep close.

I mean, I like kids, I really do. But it's safe to say that I'm not too keen on taking care of ten all at the same time by myself. I think I shouldn't be allowed to anyhow, for that matter.

So to parents who take their young kids to the mall or at the church - hats off to all of you. I think it's nothing short of heroic.

Speaking of heroism, allow me a few lines of vanity right here. We had a button creating activity with the kids. They were asked to draw a button with the words "Bayani ka, sikat ka!", color them, paste them on cardboard, attach a pin, and give them to people who they think are heroes - those who make a difference in other's lives. The week after, my mentee shyly approached me and slipped something in front of my folder. It was one of the buttons I helped her start. She had finished it. I was so touched. There were crumpled scotch tape behind it and the circle was crudely cut, but I thought it was just great.

Some things you can't teach kids. Some things they get to teach you.