{"id":13213,"date":"2026-10-11T17:05:47","date_gmt":"2026-10-11T11:35:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gavel.cmb.ac.lk\/?p=13213"},"modified":"2026-10-11T17:05:48","modified_gmt":"2026-10-11T11:35:48","slug":"who-are-we-without-them","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gavel.cmb.ac.lk\/?p=13213","title":{"rendered":"Who Are We Without Them"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Standing at the start of our university life, it is impossible not to look back at our school days with a mix of emotions. We leave behind the comfort of our simple routines, carrying a heart full of memories of not just the sleepless nights and hard work, but the simple, beautiful moments that made us feel alive. We remember laughing until our stomachs hurt in the classrooms, celebrating small wins with our classmates, and feeling like we could take on the world. But amidst all this nostalgia, there is one group of people who quietly held our lives together: our teachers. From wiping away our childhood tears and teaching us our very first lessons, to guiding us through our biggest fears, they gave us a place to grow. We might forget the textbooks or their whiteboard scribbles, but we will never forget how they made us feel seen and cared for. When we really think about it, who are we without them?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Perhaps the easiest way to understand the answer is to look at my very own journey. I was, by no means, the quietest or most well-behaved student in school. In fact, I would probably describe myself as a rather chaotic child, one who gave my teachers plenty of reasons to sigh, scold, and sometimes wonder what to do with me. Yet, despite all of that, I was surrounded by teachers who never allowed my mistakes to define me. From the very first teachers who taught me when I was little to those who guided me through my final years of school, each of them left behind a little piece of themselves in the person I am today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When I look back at my school life, I realize that I truly lived those years to the fullest. I enjoyed every moment and have no regrets. It wasn\u2019t just my achievements or friends that made those years special; it was also my teachers, who gave me the freedom to be myself and simply be a child. Their quiet support made me feel like I always had someone in my corner. For me, my school has always felt like home, not simply because of the place, but because of the people who made it feel that way. And looking back now, I can\u2019t help but ask: Who would I be without the teachers who made those years what they were? That is why my school life remains one of the most beautiful chapters of my life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There were times when academics became overwhelming, when balancing studies with extracurricular activities felt almost impossible, and when I began to doubt myself. There were moments when I almost convinced myself that I couldn’t do this. I had teachers in my life who believed in me even when I had completely lost hope in myself. Even now, I sometimes wonder how someone could have so much faith in me when I had almost none left in myself. They saw something in me that I couldn\u2019t see at the time, and somehow, their belief became the little push I needed to keep going.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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My parents have always been there for me. Through every failure, every setback, and every difficult moment, they have believed in me and never let me feel like I was alone. But somehow, hearing those same words from a teacher felt different. When someone who had watched you grow, seen your struggles, and knew your weaknesses still looked at you and said, \u201cWe believe in you. We trust you. You can do it,\u201d it meant more than I could explain at the time. And I was fortunate to have teachers who didn\u2019t just cheer for me when I succeeded; they stood by me, shoulder to shoulder, even when I failed. They celebrated my little victories, but they never walked away during my difficult moments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course, it was not always a perfect relationship with our teachers. I have argued with them, been scolded, punished, and wondered why they had to be so strict with me. In our little school stories, they sometimes became the \u201cvillains,\u201d the ones who corrected us, challenged us, and pushed us when we didn\u2019t want to be pushed. But perhaps those very villains are the ones who helped shape us into the heroes we are today. After all, a hero is never truly a hero without a villain in the story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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If you have had a relationship with teachers as I did, or that one teacher you truly look up to someone who made you feel understood, supported, and even a little at home then you are truly fortunate. Not everyone gets to experience that kind of bond with a teacher. So, if you have, cherish it and be grateful for everything they have done for you. Teachers rarely ask for anything in return. They don\u2019t need gifts or grand gestures. More than anything, they simply want to see their students grow, succeed, and become the best versions of themselves. That is their happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And perhaps that is why, this Teachers\u2019 Day, I wanted to make this a small tribute to every teacher who has sacrificed, encouraged, corrected, believed, and stood beside their students through both their achievements and failures. To the teachers who saw something in us before we could see it in ourselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now that I have left school and stepped into a new chapter of my life, I find myself looking back with even more gratitude. The classrooms may be behind me, but the lessons, memories, and the people who shaped me are still a part of who I am. And perhaps, that is when we truly understand the answer to the question that started it all:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Who are we without them?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Standing at the start of our university life, it is impossible not to look back at our school days with a mix of emotions. We leave behind the comfort of our simple routines, carrying a heart full of memories of not just the sleepless nights and hard work, but the simple, beautiful moments that made […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":124768,"featured_media":13221,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mi_skip_tracking":false},"categories":[208,209],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gavel.cmb.ac.lk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13213"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gavel.cmb.ac.lk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gavel.cmb.ac.lk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gavel.cmb.ac.lk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/124768"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gavel.cmb.ac.lk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=13213"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.gavel.cmb.ac.lk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13213\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13220,"href":"https:\/\/www.gavel.cmb.ac.lk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13213\/revisions\/13220"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gavel.cmb.ac.lk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/13221"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gavel.cmb.ac.lk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=13213"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gavel.cmb.ac.lk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=13213"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gavel.cmb.ac.lk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=13213"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}