You might recall from my blog (or FB updates) that early this year, I visited my third grade class teacher (home room teacher) Mrs. Chobi Bose in Kolkata. I had traced her after a lot of help from others and then finally met her after over three decades!! I wrote how lively she was. And how I was struck by how she had set her house up very tastefully just like she had done her house that I had visited in 1975!!

Thanks to her that evening, I found out the whereabouts of my second grade and my tenth grade class teachers. Last month, I talked to her and she helped me find my first grade class teacher!! It is like the gift just kept giving to me!!!

Thru my class mate Niladri Datta and that second grade teacher Mrs. Shastri, I found out today that our dear old Mrs. Bose, is unfortunately, no more.

As you grow older, you get more humility (and I certainly have long ways to go there) and realize that you are who you are, in many parts, because of the people who have influenced you. Outside of your parents, nobody can possibly influence you more than your teachers. And that is why it is such a noble profession.

But as age and humility set in for me, I continued to struggle to find out how to say Thanks to those teachers. It is not the case that I have made much out of myself – but whatever little I have done, I owe my gratitude to many people. Certainly the teachers.

In this age of Facebook, Whatsapp and cut-and-paste email, a Thank You message probably would not cut it, I had argued with myself. Nothing short of seeking those noble human beings out in real life and looking them straight in their eyes and say “Thank you for helping me who I am today” can possibly tell them what they meant to all their students.

And that is when the quest began to seek out my teachers and say Thank You to them. In that journey, I learnt an important lesson today…

… I better hurry up and avail of the first opportunity. Because, you know, you never know if you will get a second chance.

… and therefore, Mrs. Bose, even thru your departure from this earth, it would appear, you left another lesson for me.

… Now how do I get to say Thank You to you for that?

Not fair, I say, Not fair!!