“Learning is not attained by chance, it must be sought for with ardor and attended to with diligence.” – Abigail Adams
Sophie menatap laut sejenak lalu menoleh ke saya. “You know, Mama, I didn’t always like Biology,” dengan suara yang pelan nyaris tenggelam di antara bunyi ombak yang memecah lembut di tepi pasir.
“At first, it felt too complicated, too many things to memorize. But then I realized it’s not only about recalling facts, it’s about understanding why life works and how it keeps finding a way.”
Saya memperhatikannya. Cahaya pagi memantul di rambutnya yang tertiup angin, sementara burung camar melintas rendah di atas air. “Jadi sekarang Sophie mulai menyukai pelajaran Biology?”
Ia mengangguk pelan, ujung bibirnya terangkat sedikit. “I think so. Especially after I started the HL class. It’s harder than SL, but also more beautiful. We learn not only how things live, but why they adapt and change to survive. It’s like… every cell has a story, Mama.”
Saya tersenyum. Ada nada kagum dalam suaranya yang belum pernah saya dengar sebelumnya. “Mungkin karena Sophie mulai melihat kehidupan tidak sekadar dari luar, tapi juga dari dalam,” ujar saya pelan.
Ia tersenyum lembut, matanya kembali menatap laut. “Maybe. Like the crabs. They shed their shells because they have to grow and I guess that’s what learning is too, Mama. We outgrow what we once thought was enough.”
Saya terdiam, membiarkan suara laut mengisi ruang di antara kami. Angin membawa aroma asin yang lembut, sementara matahari naik sedikit lebih tinggi, menebar cahaya keemasan di atas permukaan air.
“Education is not the learning of facts, but the training of the mind to think.” – Albert Einstein
Part 30.
