Sarah Tauqeer| English Teacher, Grade VII
Ten years is a long time. Long enough for life to change, priorities to shift, and dreams to quietly move into the background. But sometimes the things we truly love never really leave us. They simply wait for the right moment to return.
For me, that moment came after a decade.
Like many mothers, I spent years focusing on raising my children and supporting their dreams. Life revolved around them—their school, their activities, their future. Slowly, my own professional journey took a pause. What I once loved doing became a distant memory as responsibilities took over.
Then one day, everything changed with a simple conversation.
On New Year’s, I called two very dear people Naima & Sadia, in my life to wish them. During our conversation they asked me a simple question: “What are you doing now that your children have gone to university?”
The question made me pause.
For the first time in years, I had to think about myself. My children had grown up and moved on to university. A new phase of life was quietly beginning for me, though I hadn’t fully realized it yet.
When I shared my thoughts, they encouraged me warmly. They told me it was the perfect time to return to what I once loved. Their belief in me was so strong that they even said they would call the school and inform Ma’am Sumairah that I would be joining again.
But instead of excitement, my first reaction was fear.
A thousand questions rushed through my mind. What will happen? Will I really be able to do this again? How will I manage everything? After such a long gap, I doubted myself. Teaching felt like a completely different world now. I even thought to myself, I don’t know anything about teaching anymore.
Feeling overwhelmed, I quickly sent a message to my colleague and dear friend, Naima. I asked her not to say anything to Ma’am yet. I needed time to think things over again.
She simply replied with a smiley.
But sometimes life moves faster than our doubts.
The very next day, I received a call from Ma’am Sumairah. She asked me to come and meet her.
My heart started beating faster. I didn’t know what to expect, but I knew that this moment might change everything.
That morning, I gathered all my courage and said to myself, “You can do it.”
Instead of letting fear control me, I decided to prepare for this new beginning. I went to the parlour for grooming because I wanted to feel confident and presentable. Then I bought a nice dress and some accessories.
It may seem like a small thing, but for me it meant a lot. It felt like I was not just getting ready physically—I was preparing myself mentally for a new chapter in my life.
When I looked at myself in the mirror, I felt something I hadn’t felt in years: DETERMINATION!