The world witnessed Mutaz Essa Barshim and Gianmarco Tamberi share the winning title and gold medal in the Men’s Athletics High jump Olympic Games Tokyo 2020.
Barshim asked the judge if they can have 2 golds? And the answer was Yes! Tamberi had missed the Rio 2016 games because of a broken ankle. And both of them had given their very best in the games.
High-jumping friends agree to share a gold medal rather than move to a tiebreaker. “Sharing with a friend is even more beautiful,” Tamberi said. “It was just magical.”
We celebrated World Friendship Day on July 30th. This Olympics has witnessed Kindness and Friendship in many ways. Mental health support is what we all need. We don’t know if there will be another Olympics so why not share.
In our Rainbow Adventure class, We read a book about Friendship; ‘Friendship Is Like A Seesaw’ by Shona Innes +Írisz Agócs. When you are down, a friend will jump on the other side to bring you back up. We discussed what friendship means. If you fall down, will a friend laugh? Yes, your friend will pretend to fall and sit beside you and laugh together! That’s friendship.
Friendship is the foundation of any relationship.
My best friends are my siblings. Though far apart as many of them live in different parts of the world, we are there for each other. We laugh, we cry, we listen with curiosity, we show empathy, we don’t judge, we support each other, we solve problems, we just are us.
I know in Brainbow, we are not merely teachers and students, we are friends. We asked our students and they agreed. Our relationship is build based on trust and not fear. We stay back even an hour late and check on our students after class. Friends look out for each other. We receive photos of sunsets after class. We receive food from student’s parents. We are friends.
We explored that our parents were friends and even are still friends today. I used to watch my parents have small evening chats after work and that was my life goal as well. I am married to a man who I have known for 15 years and these small chats we have in the morning while having coffee and in the kitchen, while preparing dinner are the small things that make a big difference in our relationship.
With the current situation in Malaysia’s political scene, I asked my students if World Leaders should be friends with their people; the citizens. They were not sure what I was talking about exactly but this is an important aspect of Emotional Intelligence. Talking about new things takes time but tomorrow our children will have the knowledge to make better decisions and become exemplary leaders.
Friends do something only in the best interest of their friends, not just think about themselves. Leaders should be people-focused. Sadly this is not happening in Malaysia right now. I will proudly say I spoke up for my beloved Malaysia in Bersih rallies. It was not about supporting a particular party, politician, or movement. It’s about coming together as Malaysias. In this photo, the pakcik in the white T-shirt came all the way from Terengganu alone and asked us where to buy a yellow Bersih T-shirt. Friendship here was build based on a common interest. I look forward to a better Malaysia.
We summarized our lesson by discussing the language students use to connect with each other and the culture around them; it means focusing on the ways we express ourselves and others around us; more than anything, it is the language of friendship and collaboration,
Today, social networks, messaging apps, and even video games have become powerful tools in cultivating new friendships, connecting across cultures, and creating community. But nothing is more powerful than an in-person connection, forged through a learning journey that you each come to with similar goals but different backgrounds. Friendship is like a bridge that connects. It’s up to those at the end of each side of the bridge to ensure it’s stable. A stable bridge can provide others hope and support their growth.
Is your relationship with your child is based on friendship as well? Look at your friend with curiosity. Learn what your friend likes. Put aside your ego and lend a listening ear to your friend. It’s the cutest friend you can have!
