I guess I am a teacher by nature.
My whole life has been spent helping people grow—
as a uni lecturer, a tutor, a pastor, an administrator.
The settings have changed,
but the heart of it has always been the same:
to walk beside people as they discover their gifts,
to watch them stretch, stumble,
and finally find their stride.
What brings a tear of joy to my eye
is not my own achievement,
but theirs.
That moment when someone you’ve walked beside
steps out with courage,
when their voice rings clear,
when the years of hidden growth
suddenly blossom before the world.
At Excelsia University College,
where I served for many years,
the choir would always end graduation the same way.
They formed a circle around the graduands,
voices rising in blessing:
The Lord bless you and keep you…
A prayer sung over them as they made their way into the world.
It never failed to move me.
Twelve years I was there,
and twelve years the tears came.
I used to think—
if the day ever comes when I feel nothing at that moment,
then it is time to move on.
It never did.
To see people launch into life,
to know you were a small part of their story,
to send them off with blessing—
that is joy that spills into tears.
And perhaps one day,
when my own life of service is finished,
I imagine the choir once more,
singing not over me,
but over those who remain.
A sung blessing to hold them,
as they go on their way.
The Afterword 
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