You Will Always Be My Teacher, Grandpa

Chitose was leaving for France to get further study. However, the last lesson was a disaster. Chitose and her grandpa had a huge fight. She arrived at the studio smiling and said, “Look Grandpa, I painted this portrait of you.” The man in the portrait had a lot of hair, stood straight, looked young, and smiled. Chitose might be talented enough to attend an art college in France, but she has a big weakness as an artist. When she paints a person, too often she paints an idealized image rather than the real person. Grandpa had been explaining this point to her for several months, but she just wouldn’t listen.

Grandpa got a little angry and said to her, “This is not me, and you are not a real artist.” She got angry too and said she didn’t care because she didn’t need him as a teacher anymore. Grandpa then showed her the portrait he had painted as her farewell gift and said, “This is the real you!” She took one look at it and said, “No, it isn’t!” and then left.

Grandpa gave the portrait of Chitose to her parents. He had done the portrait a couple of months before Chitose started changing her style, and he thinks it shows the high school student he taught for two years. When Grandpa painted it, she still had her natural curly hair. She was not wearing all the accessories (配饰) she has now, including the ring shaped earrings she loves. She also never wore makeup then. This was a Chitose with a fantastic future who knew she was still an amateur artist. But now she is getting older and wants to act and look more like an adult. However, she will never become a great artist if she stops learning.

Chitose’s mom secretly put the portrait into one of Chitose’s suitcases when she left home for France.

Chitose painted a portrait of her grandpa and herself.

In a big city lived a girl named Amy. She was a clever and lively child, but her heart was often clouded by dissatisfaction. Whenever she saw other children playing with new dolls or dressed in fancy outfits, Amy’s eyes would sparkle with envy and she wished she had them too.

So she always asked her mother, “Mom, can I have this?” or “Mom, can I have that?” If her mom didn’t satisfy her need, Amy would respond with endless complaints or tears. She didn’t understand why she couldn’t possess what she desired.

Her mother, a wise and loving woman, tried to reason with Amy. She explained that Amy already had so many toys and clothes. She said, “Amy, you’re lucky to have so much. Learn to be happy with what you have.” But Amy’s ears were deaf to her mother’s words. She could only see what she lacked, and her heart remained heavy with dissatisfaction.

Amy’s discontentment affected her social life at high school. Her bad temper and constant complaints about what she lacked made it difficult for her to make friends. When Amy saw her desk mate Lily using new stationery (文具), she immediately said, “I have better ones.” Once, hearing some girls talking about their new dresses, she interrupted rudely, “My mom will buy me the same one, even nicer.” Other kids couldn’t bear her attitude and kept away from her gradually, which made Amy feel more lonely and unhappy.

When Amy told her mother the “unfair treatment” she faced at school, her mother was deeply concerned about her. She knew that Amy’s constant dissatisfaction was not appropriate and would eventually ruin her happiness completely. “Something must be done.” she thought. After deep consideration, she decided to take a different approach. One day, she invited Amy to join her in volunteering at a local charity that helped the children there in need. Initially, Amy refused, but her mother’s determined attitude persuaded her successfully.

As they arrived at the charity, Amy’s eyes were opened to a world she had never known.

That voluntary experience and the conversation with the children changed Amy’s life.

A boy called Jamy always arrived home hungry every day and his parents couldn’t figure out why, despite making meals for him. When Jamy wouldn’t share what was going on, his parents decided to visit the school principal (校长), hoping the principal could offer some insight.

After talking with Jamy’s classmates, the principal and his parents heard a story they weren’t expecting. Although Jamy never talked about it, his classmates told them that he always came to school without food. The principal and his parents were shocked. No wonder Jamy was always so hungry after school! Was there something happening on the way to school that Jamy didn’t tell them?

To make the situation clear, the principal asked Jamy’s teacher, Callum to talk to Jamy in private. During the conversation with the teacher, Jamy refused to say any further details about the situation, leaving everyone frustrated and helpless. And despite multiple questioning, Jamy still refused to say any knowledge of the situation. This left the principal with no evidence to take any action regarding the missing lunch of Jamy.

Jamy’s parents were becoming increasingly concerned as their child continued to come home from school without saying a word. Despite their meeting in the school, they thought that they hadn’t gotten any closer to uncovering the truth about why Jamy was always so hungry. The lack of communication from their child only added to their frustration and helplessness. They knew they needed to take action, but they had no idea where to start.

Determined to get to the bottom of the problem, Jamy’s father decided to take action again. The next day, Jamy’s father went to school and requested to speak with Jamy’s teacher Callum.

When Jamy’s father reached the school, Callum spoke with him and patiently answered all of his questions. However, despite a deep conversation between them, no conclusion could be reached, which still puzzled Jamy’s parents.