Mothers and Child

Over a few years, my friend Yay and I have had practically the same college students because we teach in the same university (albeit different subjects) offering UK business degrees.

Many of these former students now have families of their own, and the others are successful leaders or executives in the places where they work, here and abroad.

We take pride in their achievements; we like to think we had somehow helped in their development as noteworthy individuals.

Once in a while, some of those students seek the both of us out, treat us to a cup of coffee, or come and attend our book events. 

One of them is Carla.

She used to be a topnotch writer in a Manila publication before she decided to be with her husband in the US. She came to one of our twin-book-signing activity at OMF Lit, bought our books, and gave us each a gift. To this day, I keep the pair of earrings shaped like tiny sparkling ribbons she chose specially for me. 

Another one is Ryan.

In Yay’s class, he had heard about our Savior and has since accepted Him as his own. Now he is a youth leader and serves Jesus in a growing community church. He has put up his own design shop while moonlighting as a designer in a bigger shop. Knowing perhaps that teachers carry too many doodads, he gave Yay and me each a tote bag. 

Many others mention both our names on social media, or make time to send us twin messages. 

This made Yay quip, “Mothers and child.”

The blessing of having a co-teacher with whom you share your faith—aside from sharing classrooms, students, and academic complexities (with a bit of grumbling sometimes)—is that you have someone to enrich and support you through discussions of the Word, on occasions when the load is too heavy to carry alone. 

Teaching is only five or ten percent of my time, but it reaps me 100% of grace through students like Carla and Ryan.