Thoughts for today July 2, 2014

         Mentoring with Utmost Respect and Care

 We can become good mentors of others by providing sound guidance, specially from the wisdom and experiences of the ages. It is a great privileged to mentor and share with someone the great lessons and morals of life. While teaching  freshmen college (early part of my career), I did not immediately realized the impact of my profession to the lives of many of my students. I realized later while mentoring graduate students, the long term implications of good mentoring and guidance.  Many students I mentored became my close friends and even confidants. One of my students who migrated to England became successful in his chosen career and invited my whole family to visit him and his family in England. It was exciting to see how he was raising his children - the way we guided him in facing the challenges of life. He married a college professor for one - I smiled thinking about it. My wife was also a former college professor. Another student of ours, an architect in the USA recently attended the graduation of my daughter at Columbia University . 

My former students were like my own children.
It was interesting to note and exciting to see how this young minds transformed and became almost like you in certain respects. Many teachers felt the same way I felt. - like a parent to our students. I am no longer teaching college and graduate students but continue to mentor young minds from the inner city to some Ivy league colleges and universities. I focused my energy on providing many of my mentees with real life examples of things I taught, and practice for many years now - mentoring and caring for the poorest among the poor, the needy, the orphans, the widows and those with special needs and disabilities.   
It is a philosophy, I embraced for life, a vocation and calling for  almost 33 years now.

My father was my first mentor. From the discipline and rigid rules he instructed and "implemented",  follow through  his mandates; Despite of his hectic schedule as a businessman, he found time to mentor me.

He was a prolific writer, and I am not. But, I tried. 
(His mentoring helped a lot when I attended law school). My father's writings  were succinct and fluid. He had a  great command of the English and Spanish languages. He was both articulate and passionate about teaching me the right formula to success and happiness. He taught me to love history. We would talk about current events and discussed politics, I was four years old - what/why do I care about the world ? I just wanted to play. He taught me to love books and read it, comprehending it most specially. My mother was tolerant of my rebellious nature. She  became my advocate against the "rule" of my father. Both of them have passed on.  I missed them so much. The comfort and security of parents are priceless and unfathomable.  The valuable lesson they taught me - is mentoring others with love and sincerity.  Honesty is still the best policy. Do to others what you like others do to you.

To care. To be tolerant. To be compassionate. 
To be truthful. The fear of God, the beginning of wisdom. King Solomon once said, " Life is chasing after the wind, except to love and honor God. One of the hardest and arduous tasks - Loving people. 
People can be difficult. People can be demanding. People can be selfish, above all people can be unfaithful and disloyal. Majority of Jesus disciples abandoned Him when He was arrested, tried and crucified. Mary did not.

Mary and her other children was at the foot of the tree where Jesus died. Mary, the mother of Jesus was faithful at the beginning and at the very end of her SON's earthly existence.  Everyone of us are subject to the realities and challenges of the world...it is your decision that will make  or destroy you. Do not worry what people say, some will agree with you, some will not agree, some will have nothing to do with you. Maintain that kindness and have peace in your heart. Many have their own limitations not because they were created evil, it is because they are lost in the quagmire of their self-doubt and confusion, or maybe they are limited by their earthly abilities to comprehend the broad, and complexity of their beings and circumstances on earth. Maybe they are unhappy and miserable because they did not find and see the beauty of the earth, the natural wonders of life, and the infinite power of love.