Sylvan Reverie: A Soul’s Unveiling

I came across a forest;
Which was full of green, 
With the colossal trees-
They were so tall they couldn’t be seen.
With animals so enigmatic, 
The mist was so dramatic.

I came across a forest-
Where lay the river’s poetic grace.
I saw a reflection that seemed honest, 
The reflection told me what was seen but unknown,
Heard but ignored.

I came across a forest-
Where the water showed me a reflection true, 
A tale untold that became a mystery to pursue.
The one I saw in the reflection-
Was it me or a girl in the past? 
At thirteen, a memory that couldn’t last.

I came across a forest-
It was just another forest,
But it was the place where I found myself. 
I came across a forest, 
But the forest was just my dream. 

-Aarika Banka 
Grade IX, Gyanshree School, Noida 

Do it for yourself - Rishona Chopra

PC. VectorStock

Often, we find ourselves doing things to please someone else. To get appreciation. We all are like that, even I. It makes me feel happy when one appreciates me. But there is one more thing to the appreciation - the pressure. 

When one appreciates you, you feel burdened to always do well, be an achiever and keep striving but when you fall in that cycle, you lose the joy of doing the task in the very first place. You now don't do it for self-pleasure but to please someone else.

When we do that, the task eventually becomes a burden and all happiness is replaced by fear and nervousness. Whatever we do, we should be doing it just for ourselves. Not for seeking prestige and glory. 

Why are we here in this world? What is our purpose? To do our part in the world and be kind. That is our purpose. And the key to fulfilling that purpose is to be happy and content with ourselves. To do all our tasks for mere joy and happiness.

I write because it gives me joy. I read because it takes me to another world. I play the piano because it makes my heart soar with happiness. If I did all these things for someone else then it wouldn't give me the same joy that it gave me before.

There are two meanings that come out when we say “ Do it for yourself”. One is that we do something because it gives us happiness. Because we love that task. The second is to help out someone else yet enjoy the task and not lose the joy in doing it.

Helping out someone is fantastic but everything we must do must be done with passion and happiness. If no joy, the beauty of the work itself disappears.

When you eat the food at a restaurant and when you eat something homemade, there is a humongous difference! The food at home is made with love and you can feel that while eating the food.  The joy and passion in work are shown similarly no matter how it may look or be.

When we say "Joy of learning" the keyword isn't "Learning", it is "Joy". We learn for our own joy and happiness. 

As said, live your life for you, not for anyone else.

Rishona Chopra

Grade VII

Gyanshree School

My Sunday School - Manisha Khanna

Today, on World Mental Health Day, I would like to share my reason for joining "The Sunday School". 

IKIGAI, for me, is Sunday School. "Ikigai" is a Japanese word that signifies "life purpose" or "raison d'être." I don't engage in a lot of activities on Sunday. I work six days a week and take Sundays off, but when I learned about SUNDAY SCHOOL, I saw that this was precisely what I had wanted to do all these years as an avid reader. I resonated with the idea of Sunday School right away. We all have a ton to do on Sunday, but after two weeks, I learned that this time is my IKIGAI. This is how my relationship with the Sunday School began.

"Reading without reflection is like eating without digestion." —Edward Burke.

I'm looking forward to receiving everyone's reflections for this week.

Manisha Khanna

Your Sunday School host

My Good School is 2, join the party!

Amid the jollification, a sudden and unexpected knock came on the door. #MyGoodSchool We are Two! Hoorah and the party is on!!

Reading, Reflection and Relationships #GoodSchoolsAlliance You must watch the video and, even better, sign up for My Good School; this is not a commercial but a sincere acknowledgement of the wonderful effort all the young people put in at My Good School - where passion meets education. Gyanshree Noida: We avoid sharing videos and photos of our school children and people who attend My Good School. Please bear with us for this small exception, as we are overwhelmed.

My Good School Birthday from Good Schools on Vimeo.

My Contribution To Change The World - Tenzin Jambey

What will be my contribution to making the world a better place?

One person can not change the whole world, but we must understand that to bring peace, we all must contribute our efforts together. 

Every person can not reach out to the whole world; some people who are illiterate, uneducated and poor don't have access to the other side of the world. But, yes! There is a world for simple people, even if they don't know how the world looks outside their village and town.

One day, my grandmother asked me where this place called Dehradun actually lies because she had never stepped out of the village. Like my grandmother, people in the town know nothing about the states, countries, continents, world and planets. 

This is how life looks without education; without education, we cannot see the world beyond our surroundings. 

Still, even though the world of the illiterate people is limited, there is a world for them: their surroundings, where they live with their family, community and the different forms of life like animals and birds. 

Some people think that illiterate people are fools and dummies like zombies who can't feel, but no, they are wrong. As I have lived among educated and uneducated people, I know how different people think and live. 

Some people do very well in education and technology but use those skills badly. Hackers, people who indulge in cybercrime, corrupted ministers, and many more can be mentioned. Some uneducated people are pure from their hearts; they know nothing about the bad stuff, and the educated people always exploit them.

The world of uneducated and poor people is brutal to live in; they don't get food to eat, but some rich people spend a lot of money on ordering varieties of food, but all of it goes wasted! Well, to make the world a better place, both the educated and uneducated people must connect with each other. Every individual must give their best in all ways they can to make a sustainable future and a peaceful world.

I will always respect all the people of different castes and religions, and I will always try to be polite to others and keep my environment healthy. I will help the people who are in need. I will utilise education correctly and avoid the bad stuff that would hurt the sentiments and interests of people around me. 

 

I will think beyond the looks and try to reflect and understand as much as possible. I will always accept others and their opinion, thoughts and ideas. 

If everyone follows the good path, then our efforts will undoubtedly result in overcoming unwanted activities and things like illiteracy, poverty, pollution, exploitation, global warming, food wastage, tribal clash, discrimination, racism, crimes, murders, rapes, child labour and many more activities that harm the interest of the people.

Lastly, we are the ones who create trouble for ourselves, and we get disturbed by it. Some of our actions are the outcome of sadness & depression, which come when our happiness dies. Therefore, we must be happy and have peace of mind. Sadness and depression result in unwanted activities and things that I mentioned earlier. That's why happiness should be our priority- it will serve as a pillar in changing the world.

Tenzin Jambey

Pestalozzi Children's Village, India.

Finding Your Voice - Tenzin Nyesel

REFLECTION: " Finding your voice " (inner voice)

Let's talk about the voice, not the one with which we speak but the inner voice. The voice that whispers in our mind with powerful and meaningful words. It tells us what's right and what's not. It tells us when to leave and where to go when needed. It tells us when to say yes and when to say no. Sometimes, that voice is crystal clear. It says go or stay, right or wrong, but sometimes it whispers. Always be calm and concentrative to have great clarity of that voice.

"Never let your inner voice drown in this noisy world because, in the end, that voice knows what's right for you. Always trust your inner voice." 
 
Tenzin Nyesel,
Pestalozzi Children's Village India

Be true to yourself - Tulsi Karki

Picture Courtesy: https://www.consciouslifestylemag.com/true-self-finding-your-spiritual/

Being true to yourself means thinking and acting in ways that align with your values and feelings rather than the values of others. 

If you are living true to yourself, you feel confident in your identity and you are pursuing goals that you know will lead to your happiness. 

It is really important to be true to yourself it will be your guide to living a life for yourself. A life that is fulfilling and filled with all of the things that make you joyful and allow you to live a life of purpose, whatever that looks like for you. 

Hence, the only way to live your life happily is to be who you are, not caring what other people might think or say about it. 

People are going to judge you anyway, so you might as well forget society and be like others. But keep one thing in mind you have to be true to yourself at every moment of your life. 

Tulsi Karki

Pestalozzi Children's Village, India.

There are many dimensions to every person - Tenzin Jambey

Picture Courtesy: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_Dimension

"We people don't look at the things how they are but we look at them how we think". An object or a thing stays how they are! But people look at them from a different perspective. 

Once, a teacher asked two students while showing a picture of a mountain - "What do you see?" The first one said, "It's just a mountain." The other one said, "It's not only a mountain but also a home for the birds that sing and the animals that spend their time playing around." The teacher was surprised to hear about the two different thoughts. 

We humans have the same physical attributes. We all have two hands, two legs, one heart, etc. But the brain, being one, has a different way of functioning. And everyone on this earth has a different mentality. The good thing is that everyone has special knowledge, which will make the future a better place. 

If we look from a positive side, we will see that having diverse dimensions in every person has resulted in the working of our society. Neither every person wants to become a doctor, nor every person wants to become a pilot. 

Therefore, our dimensions have led to the development of our economy and society. Our different thoughts and views are different from each other but not separate. They are inter-connected with each other. 

Finally, it is always a great experience to listen to the other people. And it also helps us to understand the working system differently. We all get different knowledge from different fields of science, art, music, politics, etc.. Interacting with the new people with new thoughts is always a wonderful experience.

Tenzin Jambey

Pestalozzi Children's Village, India.

One kind word can warm three winter months - Nishan Karki

Picture Courtesy: https://emilysquotes.com/one-kind-word-can-warm-three-winter-months/

Being kind may not be your cup of tea, but it might be worth trying for the warmth it gives everyone. 

Snow melts with the warmth of a word of kindness. As such, one kind word can warm three winter months. It means even a small kind word can change someone's life. In other words, a kind word proves to be life-changing. Kind words refer to the good things we say, compliments or appreciation.

Three winter months mean a period which is harsh, bitter and cold. If we say a kind word or smile at someone suffering from a problem, it may help the person. Earlier, we wrote a reflection on the topic 'small things are big things'. We can make out that - it is not the size of things that matters; it is the value of things that matters. So even a small word can prove to be life-changing.

The power of kindness is widespread. It is the quality that all human beings possess. But it is shown only by some humans. Consider kindness to be salt and sprinkle it over some food and consider the food to be a person who needs help and a little kind word. Kindness is an activity we perform to bring some good to others and seek nothing in return. 

As mentioned earlier, one kind word can warm three winter months, and kindness is one of the most important values. Being kind and helping people will provide happiness and peace to both sides. The person who shows kindness and helps others gets a life of joy, happiness and peace. Likewise, The person whom we help gets to be happy too.

Kindness is not only a word. It is a human value making a human a valuable living being. It is hard to find the value of kindness in other creatures. Humans are born with kindness as a quality. We should make good use of it in a way that proves to be an influential and life-changing act.

At last, I would like to conclude my view with a quote.

"No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted."

~Aesop

Nishan Karki

Pestalozzi Children's Village, India

Change I have seen from my recent past - Tenzin Jambey

Time goes on. We become old, much more experienced as the year passes (like a changing season). Reflection on things and my surroundings has become a part of my life. And from them, I get life lessons. This summer vacation was full of learning and knowledge, indeed. Knowledge is something other than what you get by opening books. 

Sometimes life and time teach you the best and most unforgettable teachings. So this vacation, I worked as a labour. Working under the orders of our boss was a different story. Well, for me, it was a lesson I learned that- life is not easy. For every human being, from poor to rich; and businessman to doctor, life is tough, and it is up to us- how we deal with it. The poor people think living a luxurious life is best and that money is everything. 

We chase money like a donkey chasing a carrot tied with a rope to a stick, while the master controlling the carrot takes the donkey where he wants. It's just an illusion a donkey sees. And the same case is with us people running behind an earthly thing like money. But if we think deeper, then we realise that money is an important asset to earn a living today and the same case for the donkey who runs behind a carrot to overcome hunger. 

There is a saying that "Too many cooks spoil the broth". Similarly, more money would not solve the problem but could lead to problems like - greed, desires, etc. And the conclusion for this will be that - 'For every problem, there is a solution'. And behind every solution, there is a problem. Recently, I have seen myself developing and becoming an idol for my juniors and even becoming a favourite of my house mother due to my efforts. Even in my village, I have a good image among everyone because I push myself to do better every time. 

Whenever I see any person older than me, I talk with them in a very respectful and comfortable way. They always give me a big smile when I meet them. If you work hard with your soul, life will pay you for that. When we push ourselves harder by getting out of our comfort zone, life teaches us lessons. And we are rewarded for the same accordingly. "That's the change that I have seen in my recent past".

Tenzin Jambey, Pestalozzi Children's Villiage India

A letter to my future self - Aria Gupta

Image courtesy Getty Stock Images

Sec 104, Noida, Uttar Pradesh

A student from Gyanshree School

6 July 2023

Dear Future Aria Gupta

How are you doing?

Please read this when you're at college or have a job. This is you from the past, and I have tons of questions. Did your/my book get published? I hope it did; I've been working pretty hard on it. What job did I/you get (If I/you have one)? Is it boring? I hope it isn't. Are you/am I happy? I'll blame you if I'm not, even though I'm basically blaming myself.

Here's a list of things I never want to become

• A bully. What is good in ruining someone's self-esteem?

• A robber. No one wants to become this! 

• An introvert. I want to have many friends and be super social. Just know, no offence to those who are one.

• A drama queen. Ugh, I hate those people; they make the most significant problem out of the most minor things.

If you are any of those things, I'm warning you in advance, then guilt will take control of you!

Anyways, do you think I’m stupid and immature? It’s totally fine if you do. Just kidding, no way I’ll forgive that. I don’t care that much if someone says bad things about me, but not myself!

Got to go now! Bye!

Your Past self

10-year-old Aria Gupta (Grade 6)

Reflecting on the My Good School Retreat 2023

Date: Thu, 27 Apr 2023 at 21:52

Subject: REFLECTION ON THE MY GOOD SCHOOL RETREAT 2023.

Dear Teachers,

Hope you had a nice day.

When I got a chance to attend the My Good School Retreat in the Doon Girls School, first l was very excited to see the people from various parts of India whom I had only heard or seen on the screen. On the other hand, I needed clarification about interacting with them. But who knew that I would talk to everyone and enjoy with them. 

On the first day, we walked to Khalanga War Memorial, Nalapani, accompanied by Col Vikram Thapa and two more people. One of them was around the 70s and was very kind and friendly. We learnt many things from him, like about the Khalanga War etc. After the walk, we returned to The Doon Girls School, where we had the Icebreaking session, held after the tasty lunch in the school. In the evening, we had presentations by various schools which were knowledgeable, but at the same time, I was scared too, as it was my first presentation in public.

            

We left for The Doon School the next day, which was a great life opportunity for me. There we had our breakfast, and I liked the school system as it was different from regular schools; all the activities done in the school were looked after by the students and even the school assembly. After the walk in the school, we went forward to Khan Farm, Biharigarh. We had a nature walk and played many games, including the talent show, team building and leadership activity. Through those games, we learned how a leader should act.

It was the second last day when we returned from Biharigarh. Then back in school, we had to reflect on our two-day journey. And I had many things to say, but couldn't I be nervous to say things in front of others. When it was my turn to speak, I said something funny, which made everyone laugh. After that, we had our friendly basketball match between the retreat team and the Doon Girls School. Fortunately, we won the game by one point. There was a situation when I snatched the ball from a girl, but later in the game, she took revenge, which was fun.

On the last day, it was Earth Day celebrations in which many schools came and sang songs based on nature, and we also sang the song "Somewhere In The World".

I am very thankful to the Director of Pesstalozzi for giving us such a great opportunity, Shelja Ma'am, and Minaxi Ma'am for supporting us.

Thanking you 

Yours faithfully,

Monika Singh Pundir 

https://pestalozziworld.com/about/where-we-work/indian-village/

Minor edits were made to publish the letter in its form and substance.

Reflection on peer pressure - Aati Pema

How I see peer pressure.

Aati Pema

Pestalozzi Children's Village India

 

My foolish mistake - Aati Pema Tseagon

Looking back, I have made many mistakes in my life, but some stand out more than others, and even now, when I recall them, I see that although they were unintentional but still almost deliberate and foolish.

I was raised in Ladakh, where even today, children like me go to the rivers to swim even when we know it's not allowed. One day when my friends and I went to another one of these spots, I fell after slipping on a rock while crossing a stream and almost got swept away. I shook it off and continued on after reaching, I was the first to jump into the river and as soon as I did, I felt a sharp pain in my knee and saw that blood was rushing out; my friends at once helped me out of the river and took me back on the way back we met an adult who was lucky a nurse and helped me. Not being in a position to do much, I had 4 to 5 stitches on my knee by a stranger; talk about foolish!

After that, my mother found out, and I rightly got scolded for this. I have shared my foolish mistake with you and hope you enjoyed it and are inspired by me not to repeat what I have done. Thank you, and have a great day.

:)

- Aati Pema Tseagon
Pestalozzi Children's Village India

"I was foolish when..." - Reflections from The Sunday School 23rd Jan 2023

"Before sharing my experience, I would like to apologise to all the readers who might or can feel wrong about this statement. 

I am a big fan of k-pop and would explain to my family about each member from different Bands and entertainment. I used to feel very bad when someone I was close with fought with me about all this. My family would tell me that no matter how much I watched their videos, they would not know me. I didn't realise how badly it affected my studies until I did horribly in my exams. After I showed the result to my grandparents, they worried about me being inspired by the k-pop idols after I had sincerely thought about myself on the roof. I wondered why my family would tell me not to see the things I like unless and until that would make me enter the world of fantasy instead of where I belong. I also wondered, Why am I not like the old mini-me, the real me. The extroverted and funny part of me was all I missed. That was the last time I promised my family that I would listen to k-pop songs, but a little less, I mean a lot lesser than before & to score well in my academics the way I did back then.

PS: I would like to apologise if anyone in the readers felt terrible about it. After all, it is my life experience..."

Tenzing Dhekyong N

"There is a saying that no one, no one in this world, is perfect. Counting from rich to poor, young to old, and from man to man, no one is perfect. Everyone makes mistakes but,
There are also some foolish mistakes which you make. I have made countless mistakes in my life from my childhood till now. But those were the mistakes which I made unintentionally. I made a foolish mistake; childhood was fun, and I  liked playing. I often used to go to play without informing my parents. My mother would tell me to inform her before going anywhere. Even after I knew I had to seek permission before going anywhere, I never did that. Once, I got a nice beating from mom for being like this. I don't know whether I should say it was my foolish mistake or my young mind." 

Tenzin Jambey

"Mostly, I didn't study every day. I used to look at the last moment when the examination is almost started. When I told myself to study, I always told myself that I had enough time to sleep and play, and I always felt lazy to study. It was my loss, I knew, but I always told myself I would start studying tomorrow, but I never did that. Tomorrow never came, so when the examination came, I could not complete my syllabus and even once got fewer Marks in history. After that, I finally realised that I was marking a fool of myself only. Now I do study whenever I got the free time. I feel energised to study". - Nirusha Limbu  

"I make a fool of myself by trusting someone who is not trustable, believes them and tells me all secrets and also shares my personal things without knowing it is right to trust them or not, and without thinking, if the person is trustable or I should share that person my secrets or not..." - Soniya Mishra. 

"Foolish means I think it is showing a lack of good sense. I think we can be fooled by anyone, so in my option, we shouldn't trust everyone very fast. We should take time to know that person, his or her habit, nature, and personality. Only then should we trust them. I think foolishness can be both negative and positive; for example, some people fool their friends or relatives as a joke or to see the reaction of the person being a fool. This is positive. But negatively, foolish is kind of brainless, senseless, rash, dumb etc., like, e.g., "She is foolish," shows like that person is insulting another person. 

I have also been fooled by my friends and brother so many times, but that day I still remember when I was fooled by my brother. During summer vacation, we all were together and having lunch. Then my brother started talking about me and making fun of me by saying that yesterday night when I was sleeping, I kicked off the blanket, and it fell. Then I woke up in a deep sleep; after that, I picked up the blanket and again fell back to sleep. He told me I did the same thing more than 5 times, and then my parents started laughing at me and making fun of me, and even I laughed at myself. I felt embarrassed. And I got angry, but after a few minutes, he said he was just making me foolish to see my reaction. But it was funny and also a kind of amusement. I was stupid to believe him".  - Smriti Rai.

"Hiding a mistake from someone older than us, even after knowing about it,  is bigger than it is. Once when I was about 5 to 6 years old, I went on a morning walk with my youngest brother, who was about 2 years old, and some friends. I was so busy with my friends that I forgot about my brother. When I went back home, my mother asked me about my brother. I was so scared that I lied to my mother and never took him out with me. That was my foolish mistake because anything would have happened to my brother, and I would be guilty and sad about my life." - Monika Singh Pundir. 

“The only thing we can do is better…no one is perfect. We all come with mistakes and have done foolish things, and it makes for a better story too. Be humbled by your past and learn to be better from there on”. - Januka Basnet. 

"It is rightly said that "No one in this world is perfect except for the Almighty." We all have made many mistakes and will continue to make many more. Mistakes not only allow us to improve but also help in making a version better of ourselves. We try to overcome them, learn from them and move on with our lives. Many of the mistakes we make in our daily life are neither intentional nor deliberate. It happens naturally or accidentally since we all are imperfect, and it is human nature to make mistakes. I have conducted plenty of mistakes, most of them rather too silly. Therefore, it is tough for me to think of a fault which was not at all foolish or brainless. 

In the end, I would like to quote a line from an unknown author who said, "Once you realise there is life after mistakes. You gain self-confidence that never goes away." With this, I come to the end of my piece of work. Hope you enjoyed it?" - Tenzin Norsang.

"Like everyone makes mistakes, I have also made many many which were foolish in my life. Those mistakes taught me many things, and I learned from them. Those mistakes also include my childhood memories.

I would like to share one of the incidents from my childhood. When I was 6 to 7 years old. My parents always told me not to touch the lighter that was kept in the kitchen. I was inquisitive about using it because whenever my parents used to light the fire, I found it fascinating. One day when my parents were busy with work, I took the lighter from the kitchen and tried to use it on the dry hay kept near our house. I was so happy that I could also light a fire with the lighter. I didn't realise that the fire grew big as it was dry hay. Somehow my father saw smoke and came running. He hurriedly put water from the tap which was nearby. He was furious. I got terrified. He scolded me, and I started crying. I never tried to disobey my parents from that day." - Shristi Khulal.

"For me, foolish means to believe whatever other people tell me. Back then, I was so silly that I always thought of them. Once upon a time, when I was young, my friends and I played in our school. We played a game named hide and seek, which we used to play every day. But once it was my turn to search for them, they all went towards a very dense forest, and I went to search for them there, but they were not there because they all were hiding in a big tree and I could not find them.

Once, they fooled me into thinking that there was a ghost who eats human beings. I was searching for them, but suddenly I remembered what they had told me; I started running from there and they made terrifying voices simultaneously. Later on, when I was unable to run, I started crying, and then they all came out and took me from there and later told me that they all made me a fool. There was no ghost at all. Later, I laughed while writing this." -  Manisha Rana.

Pestalozzi Children's Village India

What I fear the most... Tenzing Dhekyong N

Reading Chapter 32 - Human Quality: Preparedness

"What I fear the most is the scare of the darkness. So generally, many people are scared of the dark. I have been wondering about those creepy things repeatedly during my childhood, so that's why I had a fear inside me of ghosts. I still am scared of a ghost, but I try to overcome them by thinking of funny movements which have happened today". 

Tenzing Dhekyong N
Pestalozzi World Children's Village

Reflection on what makes you feel who you are - Shristi Khulal

Even though I am not exceptionally talented, the support, love, help and care I receive daily from people around me makes me feel who I am. 

The knowledge, education, encouragement and motivation I get from those who help me endlessly in my life are my parents, teachers, friends and Pestalozzi; all have helped me become a better person. 

The challenges and even problems that came into my life made me stronger and braver. 

Thus, these are the things that make me who I am.

Why Reading Aloud Never Gets Old - Edutopia

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Totto-chan - Simar Kaur

My reflection post reading Totto-chan. 

What are the similarities and differences between Totto-chan and Simar?

Totto-chan is a free-spirited person who loves to find joy in the most mischievous and different activities. Even though, I try not to engage in playful activities, I love to try new things. Totto-chan is not outcome-driven. She likes to live in the moment and enjoy something to its extent. However, I am very much outcome driven and am a future-oriented person. She wants to just go for things. While, I am someone who creates a list of pros and cons in my mind even before taking small steps and think of worst-case scenarios and best-case scenarios and all the possible outcomes of taking that step. And thus, I take a long time to make even the simplest of decisions. I wish I were more of a spontaneous person like Totto-chan but growing up seems to get in the way of that.

But nonetheless, I try. I try to take chances and just go for it. But at the end of the day, I try to safe steps. Despite many differences, Totto-chan and I have some similarities in the Venn diagram above.

Why did Totto-chan need to lie to her mother about the dress despite knowing she wouldn't get scolded?

Even though Totto-chan was aware that her mother is a very patient and considerate person, she felt the need to lie to her mother about her torn dress. I believe that our parents, despite their patience, are our parents. They are the force that drives you to do good deeds so they are proud of you. However, when something terrible happens, many of us ought to lie to them to not upset them and clear our names off. According to some people, Totto-chan lied for her mother's sake so she wouldn't get upset on hearing about her favorite clothes getting torn. According to others, she lied for an hour's sake to avoid getting blamed for tearing the dress. But according to me, her reason for lying to her mom was a mixture of both. She didn't want to upset her mother and did not want to be the reason for her mom's disappointment. And thus, she chose to lie.

Many children lie to their parents even for the most minor things, but the ultimate truth, they are superheroes who have their ways of finding out everything. Their superpowers make us tell the truth without realizing it. The same thing happens with me. I have a bizarre habit of smiling vivaciously whenever I lie about something. For some reason, it also happens when I say the truth but get asked if I am lying. For instance, whenever I start watching YouTube without telling my mom at a time when I'm not supposed to watch it, and my mom comes and asks what I'm doing, I manage to change the screen, but the vast (and unflattering) smile on my face gives it all away. I perceive that as a superpower because as a kid, I am lovely at making stories for not doing something when its anyone other than my parents. But my annoyingly honest nature gives it away at the end of the day…

Written by Simar Kaur, Gyanshree School at Noida