REFLECTION

I have been studying in a Catholic school since my primary education. It has, quite literally, been
a part of my life since day 1. My family is close to God because of how he always saved them
from drowning in sorrow and resentment during the times when we thought that we had lost all
hope. This is why I am so open to show my faith, seeing as my role models were never afraid to
show that they cared for the Lord. And one of the reasons I am proud to be called a Catholic is
because of my Christian Living Teacher for 6 years. Yes, you read correctly. Teacher Gina
(Galido) has been educating me and my former classmates since the first grade, and I can
never be more grateful and thankful for that fact.

During the first grade, I was so excited when I found out that she was going to be handling my
section. This is because I have heard many great stories about her and the way she teaches the
bible and life as a whole. She had a unique way of teaching it though, she did it similarly to
Jesus’ evangelization: through stories that will instantly grab your attention and peak your
interest. For Jesus, he caught their interest through parables, for Teacher Gina, she caught our
attention through real-life scenarios that happened during her time. She taught us how to
incorporate our own mundane lives to the parables Jesus taught, which then showed us how it
was possible to live a life similar to that of Christ. She was always saying that if we did not know
what else to do with a problem or a situation that is in dire need of a solution, we should pretend
that we are Jesus. She told us to think to ourselves: What would Jesus do? Because his way
was always the right way. And in doing so, we are already being influenced to do good and
produce goodness in this perfectly imperfect world. Teacher Gina has been a great influence in
developing my faith and making me believe that there really is goodness in the world; that it is
not merely a fantasy that the Bible is showing us in order for us to follow their ways. No. But
rather, it is something that poses as a great way to emphasize the fact that everything good
begins with ourselves and what we choose to believe in our life.

So when we found out that she had passed away, we were more than devastated. We were
crushed, downtrodden, shocked, and in grief. It was as though a chapter in our lives were so
angrily ripped by someone who had left teardrops on the remaining pages. She was not perfect,
but she was that breath of fresh air that’s full of the kind of honesty that one needed in order to
take on this never-ending book called life. Without everything she taught me, I would not know
where I would be. The way she colored Jesus’ image in our hearts and minds for 6 continuous
years is what made me the proud Catholic I am today. She told us that we are nothing without
Jesus, so in a way, her introducing him to us makes her the bridge. So I can say that I will be
close to nothing, if not for her patience and infinite stories about faith, hope, and life.