The Power of Just Listening

Hi,

Yesterday, I was a complete mess. I’m talking about the kind of emotional state where you’d probably apologize to a chair if you accidentally bumped into it. Usually, I’m the Cool Teacher. Calm, composed, and very professional. But the moment I’m alone? I turn into a puddle. I was getting teary-eyed over everything. A sad song? Sniffle. A slightly wilted leaf? Heartbroken.

Then, yesterday, I walked toward my office and saw it a flower tucked into my door. My first thought wasn't "Oh, how sweet!" It was more like, "Who found me?!"

The Mystery Flower at the Forbidden Door

See, I have a very specific rule. I do not meet students simply in my office. I’ll meet you at a public places like a cafe or a random bench around the school or under a tree, but not my office. I have my personal reasons (mostly involving my secret stash of snacks 😋 and my desire to avoid unannounced quick questions that last two hours).

So, seeing a flower there was like seeing a glitch in the Matrix. I picked it up and found a small note. It was from two students who had just finished their PhDs. They were officially graduating and leaving Malaysia to start their real adult lives elsewhere.

Now, tell me how could I not tear up?

Now, you might be thinking, "You’re an academic. Students graduate all the time. Why the waterworks?" And honestly? Fair point. Usually, I just shake their hands, give them a good luck pat on the back, and wonder if they’ll ever return. But these two were different. They weren't even my students. And to add in more fun, they weren't even from my faculty!

We started as total strangers. They were struggling, drowning in the deep, dark ocean of PhD research, and I just happened to be the one with a metaphorical life jacket. I treated them like my own.

Watching them grow was like watching a tiny, stressed-out bud turn into a confident, blooming flower. To be honest, half the time they talked about their research, I had no idea what they were saying. (Physics? Biology? Chemistry? Who knows!)

But I didn't need to understand the science. I just watched their eyes light up whenever they made progress. It turns out, people don't always need you to be a genius or a miracle worker. Sometimes, they just need someone to actually listen to their rants, someone who won't roll their eyes when things go wrong and someone to just a simple "Hey, you've got this."

On his very last day at USM, I finally welcomed a student into my office.

It’s the most basic way to respect another human being, yet it’s the thing that hits the hardest. So, I stood there holding that flower, looking at these two human beings who were once lost strangers and are now ready to take on the world. I thought about the years of struggle, the breakthrough meetings, and the fact that they remembered me on their way out the door.

Now, you tell me again, how could I not tear up? My Cool Teacher reputation is officially in ruins, but my heart is full. 💕