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Repaying Parents’ Infinite Love

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Friday December 13th, 2019

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  Primary school's filial piety

The sky was gloomy and the weather was cloudy but it did not dampen the enthusiasm of Tzu Chi Primary School parents and students to gather at the Primary Hall for the Filial Piety Day on December 11, 2019. This wonderful and touching celebration is held with the help of Ren Wen Department. About 450 parents attended this ceremony, accompanied by teachers and Tzu Chi volunteers.

 

Parental love is infinite love, and it is not an easy job for children to repay their parents’ love. Master Cheng Yen continuously reminding us that there are two things that should not wait in this world, which are filial piety and doing good deeds. Every year, Tzu Chi Primary School routinely holds this Filial Piety day and invite parents to make a reminder to children of their parents' love.

 

Ms Caroline Widjanarko,Tzu Chi Primary Principal explained, "As Master Cheng Yen said, being filial and doing good deeds should never wait. One of the values ​​we want to teach children is that they must be filial, respect, and love their parents."

 

The Filial Piety Day was intended for students in Grades 1 and 6. In the morning, Grade 1 students presented dance and song performances reflecting gratitude and affection for parents, such as the song ‘Bunda’ written by the Indonesian musician Melly Goeslaw, and Celine Dion's song titled ‘Because You Loved Me’.

 

Grade 6 students, on the other hand, take turns by presenting a wonderful musical drama performances of ‘Lion King’. The story of Lion King was chosen for its familiarity in the minds of children and parents, for them to be able to relate and better understand the message behind this performance. The storyline was slightly adjusted to suit the Filial Piety theme so that children could grasp the meaning of being filial a lot more easily. 

 

Ms Anita Artan, Tzu Chi Primary Ren Wen Teacher as one of the people who is in charge of the event said, "We changed so that when Mufasa (Simba’s father) died, Simba apologizes to his father for not having had the time to say ‘I love you’ or being more filial. "

 

The musical drama performance is hoped to enable children to appreciate every moment they share with their parents. "Children must remember, our parents will not get younger, so being filial to our parents should start now," added Ms Widjanarko.

 

Footwashing Ceremony

 

One effort to teach children in returning parental love is by holding a ceremony of washing parents’ feet by the children. Students from Grades 1 and 6 lined up and stood before their parents with a basin of warm water, then knelt down to wash their parents' feet. This heart touching moment brought all kinds of emotion, a few mothers and children couldn’t hold up their tears. 

 

Ms Olivia Tan, mother of Regina Surjadi, P6 Love said that it was difficult for her to hold back her tears, "I was really trying hard to not cry because I was so moved. What I felt when my child washed my feet, it feels like she truly appreciates my love and hard work in raising her this far," she said. 

 

For Ms Tan, the Filial Piety Day is not only about getting her feet washed but also reminds her of her own mother's love. "For me, Mother's Day or Filial Piety Day is also a time for me to remember our mother’s efforts in raising us. I am grateful that children in Tzu Chi School are given the chance to show their affection to parents."

 

Regina herself felt really grateful for the opportunity given by the school to show her love to her mother, "I feel very happy for this opportunity to wash my mother's feet, because not every time we were given an opportunity like this. We must love and respect each other and our parents, because without our parents we cannot be anything. "

 

Regina also expressed her love while hugging her mother, saying that her mother is everything to her. "My mother is a person who takes care of me, support me, and show me the right way and tell me when things are wrong. For me, she’s my everything, I can't live without mom,” which made her mother got teary-eyed. 

 

Doing Good Deeds Can’t Wait

 

On this beautiful occasion, students were also invited to show their compassion by pouring out their savings from their bamboo bank, to share their blessings with less fortunate people, "The pouring of bamboo bank itself is one of the virtues that children can do, that is, to share blessings with others. Children must always remember the blessings they have, and be willing to share with others,” said Ms Widjanarko. 

 

The bamboo bank pouring ceremony was also highly appreciated by Regina’s mother, from such small funds, it proved that helping others can not only be done by those who has a lot of money, “Sometimes we even see those coins thrown on the street, even though from these small ones everyone can be help for others. This is like stretching a thread between hands to seed kindness.”