Two schools have made the same
impact in my life; one, where I was a student and the other where I work as a
teacher. From both these institutions I have learnt basically the One Fact
called Love which made me believe that anything done out of the pure intention
called Love will be fruitful.
As a child, the best and perhaps
the only thing that I enjoyed was the school assembly. The most memorable was
the first day assembly where our Headmistress would address us with the same
story year after year. It goes like this: The Headmistress asked the girls,
what our school motto is. And one girl answered 'Love never dissolves (into
nothing)'. The student mistook the Malayalam word Uthirnnu (to shed in the form
of powder) as Kuthirnnu (to get soaked or
dissolved). Both the words meant 'to disappear into nothing'. She admired the
student's answer and she used to tell us the greatness of God's love which will
never fail or disappear. I never understood the real meaning of the motto 'Love
never faileth', but was sure that it meant everything. I left the school with poor marks but
I had marked every good word that my teachers told.
Ms Baker memorial School, started by the English missionaries back in 1820, is named after Ms Baker, who made education possible for girls. The missionaries would go to each house to tell the parents, the necessity of educating girls. My great grandma was one among the six girls who made the first batch. Our building had wooden steps, shutters and flooring and I am sure that none of us can ever forget the sound of the footsteps. The huge pillars round and smooth and the wide steps spoke of the European architecture. Later the school was rebuilt in the same campus. Though my heart broke to see our school building changed into a shopping complex, the school motto and anthem remained unchanged. The hill on which the school was built is called Baker hill and the bus stop, Baker junction and the light green shade of our uniform, Baker green!
Ours was a school without a stick. As they preached Love, they practiced it too. The school survived without any corporal punishment, thanks to the Love that got us disciplined. The most precious lesson, perhaps the only lesson that I learnt and believed was the powerful motto of our school 'Love Never Faileth'. Among the many songs and hymns, the school anthem rings in my ears with its words taken from The Holy Bible.
"Love never faileth
Love that all prevaileth
Saviour Christ O hear me now
And give Thy love to me"
Now I am doing my schooling once again as a teacher, learning everyday from my students. There is a charm about our school which I cannot explain in words. I could never comprehend how an ordinary school in a small town like Salem brings out confident and smart girls who can fly till any height.
Again, I am convinced of the motto of the school 'Love and Serve'; the words of Blessed Sr. Anne Marie Javouhey. She came from France and started many educational institutions in many impoverished countries. Our school is beautifully named 'Cluny', after the town of Cluny in Eastern France where the Cluny congregation was born. The first batch was started in 1805, with a few girls as a result of Rev Sisters going around and making the parents convinced about the importance of educating girls.
God has a special plan for each of His creation and I thank Him for taking me through these beautiful routes of Love. I am glad that though I missed academic excellence, I am blessed with a conviction which scales above every height of this world, with the knowledge that God is Love; a Love that never fails; a Love that enables us to serve!
