”The final aim in life is moksa, liberation.” ~ Meditations from the Mat

Words on paper have always fascinated me. As a teacher, I loved teaching children how to read. To watch their faces literally light up when they figure out how to sound out a word, it is truly a feeling so magical and powerful-I cannot find the words to explain it. When I was in graduate school working on my degree in reading, I volunteered to teach adults how to read. It was such a humbling experience to serve these amazing people. I often wondered who the teacher really was: me or them. I cannot begin to imagine the courage that it must have taken for these adults to sit next to me each session, sounding out words like a child as I helped their brain process and make sense out of what their eyes were seeing. How vulnerable they must have felt. What a blessing this opportunity was for me. I am so grateful that I could be a part of their lives.

On my last day volunteering as I wrapped my arms around my student to say “good-bye,” he whispered to me, “Thank you, I am free.” I’ll never forget his words or the sound of his voice. That moment changed me forever.  For my student, learning to read gave him a sense freedom. He no longer lived in isolation from other people. He no longer had to hide from words or avoid situations that required him to read. He no longer had to be afraid he would embarrass his children when in the presence of their friends. To him, something as simplistic as being able to read (which many of us take for granted) made him free. He had achieved moksa. The moment he uttered his first word from paper, he was free. He could no longer tell himself, “I cannot do_______ because I cannot read.” I wish I could have told him what I later realized but I was so overcome with emotion and empathy at that moment, my mind went completely blank. But later I realized he became free the moment he walked into the door. He became free, again, the moment he opened up a book. He was free from the barriers that society had placed on him. He was free from judgment. He was free from the fear that lied to him and told him he was not smart enough, good enough, or that I would think less of him if he stumbled on a word. He let go and faced an obstacle that he had dealt with his entire life. He was free!

When we face life’s obstacles head-on, when we simply let go, we are free…