One day, I met my former teacher on a bus after many years. She was delighted to see me and immediately began asking questions about my life—whether I was doing well, if I was married, and how my family was. Her curiosity reminded me of how much she cared about her former students.

As we talked, she took my hand and looked closely at the rings on my finger. Smiling, I told her that everything was going well with my husband and that my parents were healthy and happy. I expected her to be pleased by the news.

Instead, she suddenly looked shocked and exclaimed, “No, this can’t be!” Her reaction caught me completely off guard, and for a moment I wondered if I had said something wrong.

Then she quickly explained herself and sighed, “My daughter is still single!” It turned out she wasn’t upset about my happiness at all—she was simply surprised that one of her former students had gotten married before her own daughter. The unexpected comment left both of us laughing at the irony of the situation.