A few days ago, while I was sitting alone — or maybe playing with kids — I suddenly recollected a prayer we used to recite in our school days. We said it every morning when the first lecture began and again before leaving for home.

It went like this:

“Dear God, be with me, guide me in all I do and say. At home,at school and at play.”

Such a simple prayer. So short, yet so full of depth.

If there’s one thing I am truly grateful for, it has to be this prayer. No amount of knowledge, skills, or activities could ever match the guiding light these few words provide.

Even today, in the rush of work, responsibilities, and ambitions, these lines remind me that guidance doesn’t always come from grand teachings — sometimes it comes from the quiet prayers we once whispered as children.

I hope this prayer is still recited and remembered by students, and that it continues to guide them long after school life ends and light their path forward.

Happy Diwali to all of you.