Happiness is in the small things...again :-)

Searched FB and found the lady who was my very first true motivation to never give up. Thanks to my parents' medical career with a hospital group that flung them to all corners of Kerala (fag end of 70's and the 80's), my schooling was 'nomadic' style. By the time I'd gone half way through my 2nd grade (at a vernacular school that thought Aa for Aana on slate was the height of aspiration), my parents got transferred yet again. This time, they decided I needed something more stable and packed me off to live with my maternal grandparents in Salem (the best decision they ever took and the golden period in my childhood). With a little bit of string pulling (via my mom's old teachers who belonged to the same congregation that ran the school), I got admitted into Cluny Convent, the best in town then. It was all too much for little me to handle. This, apart from the separation throes with my parents. To make matters worse, my peers seemed to be erudite scholars in comparison to me :-D. I knew no English,could speak a little Tamil, and the few Malayalam alphabets that I knew to write, were of no use. But, I tried. With lots of help from my paatti (grandma), her friend and retired teacher Dawson aunty, my class teacher Miss. Sushma and, my ever smiling Tamil teacher,Miss. Hilda. Our principal was a soft spoken yet very assertive nun, Sister Maria Theresa. She seldom raised her voice but something in her made you want to put forth only your best behaviour. As the final exams got over, my mom came down to review my status. She met up with Sister to discuss my progress. She had emotionally prepared me in advance to accept it if the school decided to retain me in Class 2 itself. But she came back elated. She told me what Sister had said. " I have been keenly observing the child. She is one of the most hard working little girls I've ever seen. To detain her at this point would be demotivating her. I've discussed with her class teacher and we feel she should be given a chance. She will be promoted to Class 3". (Remember, this was not the era when the Central Board of education deemed no child is to be failed till Grade 9 and then, leave it God and fortune). I can still remember the pride those words of confidence instilled in me ;-)
PS: I found Sister on FB but have not sent her a friend request. I'm sure she must have forgotten me. My parents took me back to Kerala for High School. The Nomad was again on the run.