Totto-chan's Life - Anvesha Rana

Totto-chan has taught me many things, from selflessness to compassion, curiosity to care, pity to love. She has taught us innumerable life lessons just through her mischievous nature and jovial personality. 

Totto-chan had participated in a sports event and that single event had the most profound effect on her. Similarly, even the sports day at my school is not only a day full of fun but also a day submerged in learning. 

The sports day taught me acceptance, that even though I did not win anything, I needed to accept that fact. It also encourages appreciation for others, I learn to acknowledge the rewards of my mates even when I don't have any. It teaches me to care for those who might have hurt themselves while playing, but the most important lesson on the sports day is cooperation, understanding and following your team and leading them in the right direction. The sports day is a day oozing with fun, learning, sports and values. 

Totto-chan had a fun pet, Rocky, who was a German shepherd. Rocky and Totto-chan are best friends, but their favourite pastime together was to play the game 'Wolf'. In wolf, you had to roll down on the mat and face each other only to make the scariest, wolf-alike face possible. Rocky and Totto-chan were simply playing this game, but Rocky, a German shepherd, raised its animal instinct and bit Totto-chan on her ear. It was awful, the ear was dangling down but the only thing that mattered to Totto-chan, while at hospital to get her ear mended, was that her parents should not scold Rocky. This incident demonstrated the pure form of love that Totto-chan and Rocky share. It showed how deeply they cared for each other but after all Rocky was her pet, only Totto-chan considered him a friend.  

We all want to have a pet, even I want one but I think we should not keep these animals caged in our homes, far away from their families. Moreover, owning a pet requires time, honesty, humility, love, care, patience, cooperation, appreciation and quality, and if we want to have a pet then, we should take full responsibility for it. It should not be that we got a dog home and then just got stuck in our everyday life only to forget our pet. We should respect our desires, and if we want to have a pet, then we should also acknowledge our pet. 

Totto-chan is indeed a unique girl. Her enthusiasm is contagious and full of love and passion, and her inquisitiveness is simply enchanting. She found a great interest in creating haikus. A Haiku is a kind of a Japanese poem where 5-7-5 syllables are applied to express daily situations with a unique twist. 

Here's a Haiku I tried to create: 

                 The Joy is found, 

                     Love is spread at the MGS, 

                           Meet us now at 11:00!

Anvesha Rana, 

Grade 10-B,

Gyanshree School

We Were Only Playing - Rishona Chopra

Playing is probably the best thing about childhood. I love playing, going out in the sun and running and having lots of fun; that is childhood. Here's a thing about playing - you don't need toys to play with. All you need is a friend, and that friend can be you.   

Making games to play with yourself is the art of playing. When I am bored, I make some slime and squish it with some chemicals and do experiments or while studying, I act as if I am a teacher and teach all concepts to imaginary children and sometimes to my parents too! 

Totto-chan had a pet. A pet comes with a lot of responsibility, but you always have a partner to share your feelings with. I sometimes wish I had a quiet puppy, but I am not ready to take the responsibility, and I think that if we keep a pet, we shouldn't keep it in a cage and bring it with its sibling or mother, so we don't separate the pet from their family.

The innocence of a child is all about their selfless compassion - In Japan, they call it - Omoiyari, a section of Ikigai. In the chapter, even though Totto-chan was bitten by Rocky, she cared even more and ensured he wouldn't be scolded.

Selfless compassion was mastered by Totto-chan at such a young age. But as we grow, we often start to think more about ourselves and not about others, but I bet when Totto-chan grows up, she will have mastered Omoiyari!

Rishona Chopra
Grade VI
Gyanshree School