2Maryam and the Balance of Rights

In a small village on a mountainside lived Maryam, a light in the village for her great sense of responsibility and her respect for the rights of others.

Maryam was the only teacher at the village school. Every day she exercised her right to give the best teaching she could, and also her right to look after herself.

“Balancing rights and duties is the key to happiness and success.”

One day she felt an urgent need for rest. She worried about leaving her students without a teacher, but she knew she had a right to peace, so she decided to spend a day in nature.

She did not leave things hanging; she called a colleague to cover her classes, without hesitation, because she knew accepting support is part of healthy relationships.

When she returned, she found her students had enjoyed the small change and benefited from a new way of explaining things.

Another day a student asked her for extra help with a lesson. She hesitated, then remembered she had the right to say “no” when she was exhausted, so she apologised kindly and promised to help him another time.

In time Maryam became a role model in the village, teaching everyone that balancing rights and duties is the key to happiness and success.