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

All 'Lives' have equal 'Value' - Aria Gupta

Photo: https://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/equality-inclusion-and-diversity/fair-and-equal/

This blog is about a book I’ve read and loved known as “The War that Saved My Life” by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley. There are no spoilers ahead; I’ll just briefly introduce the protagonists' life. Her name is Ada, and she has a twisted foot.

"I was waving from the window when Ma'am smacked me in the face. “I gave you some time to look out the window out of kindness, and you decided to wave!” she bellowed. “I was just waving to Stephen White!” I cried back in defence. “You ain't waving to nobody with that crippled foot!” she exclaimed. “Jamie's out there,” I said quietly. “He ain’t a cripple like you!” responded Ma'am. Soon, she left for work. It was a perfect time. I was crawling, and I tried to stand up. “Aaah!” I cried in pain as tears rolled down my eyes. I could also see a little blood in the place, where I kept my bad foot as I fell back down to the ground, crawling again. I tried a second time, doing it more slowly and cautiously. First, my good foot, then my bad one. Still, the pain wasn’t any less. I shrank back down to the ground, deciding I’ll stop this walking thing for today. I cleaned the blood on the floor so that Ma'am couldn’t notice and stayed there for a while. Suddenly, Jamie burst through the door. “Why are you so late?” I scolded. Jamie was left speechless. When he was younger, we had always played together. As he grew older, he wanted to play with the kids on the street. I told him to be where I could see him. At first, he did, but then he made friends with a gang of boys and always went running out of sight. I was lonely in the one-room apartment. I dreaded being lonely. I could go out. I’m not that helpless. It’s just that the last time I went outdoors, ma'am beat me until my shoulders bled. I’m not even allowed to go to school. So, I just had to stay in this apartment, all alone, waiting for someone to come."

- Taken from the book 'The war that saved my life'.

Ada, here, is being mistreated because she is specially-abled, which is incredibly wrong. All lives are equal, and you can't label a person as 'not so important' or a 'disgrace to the family' just because of their occupation, weaknesses, etc. This is because even though they might need more attention and help than us, they are still humans who deserve to be treated right.

Aria Gupta
Grade VI | Gyanshree School

Appreciation - Kiran Vehniwal

Picture Courtesy- https://picpedia.org/handwriting/a/appreciation.html

Appreciation is a simple word that means 'to tell others that you are thankful for their efforts towards you'. Just a 12-letter word that can brighten up someone's day or make someone feel good about themselves.

We, being humans, tend to show appreciation only when someone does something for us.

Have you ever paused and thought about how people make a difference in our life just by being a part of it? Even if they are doing nothing extra to add value to our life?

I assume the answer will be no.

At points, we try our best to do better to make someone proud because that one person matters to us. That someone may not be doing anything in particular, but their existence drives us to achieve more.

Don't they deserve the most appreciation for giving us a motive in life. Definitely, they do.

Let's not only be appreciative just for showing a gesture in return for something but appreciate every living soul we come across, as they will definitely leave an impact on you to make your life better. 

Kiran Vehniwal 

Prita Lee Lesson School, Kapurthala 

You Breathe - Reveda Bhatt

Photo from: https://www.curioustitans.com/blog/book-review-when-breath-becomes-air-by-paul-kalanithir

I wrote the following poem after reading 'When Breath Becomes Air'. The book hits me to my core. I hope you feel the same way I did, too...;)

[They gave their breath.

Nature took it as air. 

We made it our breathe.]

You breathe now what once was air,

Which earlier was the breath of the person who disappeared,

That's just how it is-few days of sorrow

While the others celebrate-

The other not being here.

Might feel like despair

But to make it clear

That's how it is-

You Die - Few Cry - While The Others Celebrate You Not Being Here.

And then, what you used to 'BREATHE' just, in a moment, became 'AIR'.

Reveda Bhatt
Grade 9 The Aryan School

All Lives Have Equal Value -Tenzin Jambey

Inspired by reading the book at our Sunday School.

Shouldn't we treat all living beings equally? Don't you agree that animals, plants and insects deserve respect?

If you think that they should not, then tell me the reason for that. We, humans, are exploiting wildlife, hunting and poaching animals and trading their body and their body illegally for the sake of earthly things called "money". What harm have they done to us? For what reason are we hurting them? Shouldn't we care for the cow which gives us milk? Shouldn't we care and protect the forest that provides us with a source of living?

Plants, flowers, trees and grasses all have equal value in life. If we pluck or take them, they will die like us. We pluck their leaves, and they will get hurt like we get. If we love and care for them, they will grow like healthy human beings. 

We don't like plants and animals. And we feel like they shouldn't exist in this world. For example- Mosquitoes and weeds. Similarly, now place yourself in an animal or a plant like a goat and Sundari tree and ask yourself- 'Would you let a human live who is exploiting you for their means and for earning money? Ask this yourself twice, thrice and thousands of times. And you'll get the answer by yourself. Next time, before killing an insect or before harming a plant, you will think thrice.

At last, life is tough for everyone, whether rich or poor, animal or human. Sometimes we feel like becoming a bird or sometimes a butterfly. But they have their life challenges. 

If poor people think rich men live a luxurious life, he is wrong. It's the rich man's hard work day and night that the poor man didn't do, but we cannot blame the poor people for being poor. As I have told you before, life is tough for everyone. There can be many causes that led him to poverty.

Tenzin Jambey

Pestalozzi Children's Village, India.

Is it right to do mercy killing? - Rishona Chopra

Mercy killing is killing a person or animal to relieve their suffering. 

When fishermen fish, they bring the fish out of the water and kill it. When out of the water, it suffers, and we kill it to "relieve" it of its suffering. 

If an animal is wounded and in deep pain, we kill it to "relieve" it of its misery. 

I believe that there is simply no mercy in killing. Mercy killing should strictly only be done when a person or animal is in extreme pain and suffering and mentally accepts that it has to depart. 

 Imagine if you are sick and someone comes to you and says he/she is doing mercy to you by killing you. Does that even make any sense? If you are ready to leave all worldly desires and go, it would only seem alright to you.  

I think mercy killing, when done for no extreme reason, is straight away wrong. If you wish to "relieve" an animal's suffering and have such good intentions, why do you kill it anyway?

Most of the population depends on fishing. Fishing should be banned as why put a fish through so much pain. But that would also cause several issues. So, we can't do that, but there are humane ways to catch a fish. 

Even if we depend on animals to survive and we have to kill them, there are less painful ways to do so. 

You can learn more about this matter here: https://kb.rspca.org.au/knowledge-base/what-is-the-most-humane-way-to-euthanase-aquarium-fish/

I believe there is a difference between euthanasia and mercy killing, especially in India. Euthanasia is killing an animal when they are suffering from extreme illness, and the illness has NO CURE. And if they live any longer, it will hurt them all the more. But mercy killing, especially in India, is killing animals for our own advantage. 

You can see the proof here from an article from Hindustan Times:

There is another headline that says:

*This was back in 2017 and early 2018, but now mercy killing is banned.*

Even though it is banned, I believe that until 2017, mercy killing was allowed even for a mere reason like "space". Why not kill humans to make space for animals, then? I am sure they would need it. 

Each animal has there own rights, their own family, and their own life. Just in a second, it all ends for them. Why is care for humans, kindness towards humans and humility towards humans? Let us now show the same towards animals. 

Rishona Chopra
Grade VII
Gyanshree School

All people have equal value - Aati Pema

In the world that we live in today, we have to abstain from the "our people" mentality which is basically saying me, myself and I but in a more moderate manner. 

This is harmful as we stop seeing how lucky we are to have the company we have and end up losing them. Getting detached from reality and seeing the world through prejudice-filled eyes is not good. So for the times when you are either irritated or mad or not in the mood to be with the company you have and think that you are better off alone, keep in mind the thought that all people around are as important as you are to yourself. 

"We are fortunate to have the things we have as we just won a lottery of life."

Written By-

Aati Pema Tseagon 

Pestalozzi Children’s Village, India.

(Reflection from reading Live Life In Crescendo by Cynthia Covey Haller)

"All people have equal value" - Nishan Karki

                                 

Reflection from Sunday School

 

All lives have equal value. And so you say, 'Why do poor children die when other children don't? Why do some people have enough nutrition or reasonable toilets and other people don't?' So those basic needs that, through innovation, actually it's very affordable to bring them...to everyone.

~Bill Gates

Everyone in the world possesses many values. We, people, are the most intelligent beings created by God. God created us as social beings who can communicate, think, walk, eat, play and work by ourselves. God has provided us with many qualities like humanity, loyalty, kindness, honesty, compassion etc. We can look out for ourselves, do our work independently and do many more things. These qualities that we possess, make us unique, unlike animals and other creatures. They may possess some qualities, but not as many as we possess. Despite differences in region, birthplace, class, financial position, gender, age, caste, language and custom, people have equal values.

We may be rich, middle class or poor, but the value we possess are the same. We should use and show our values at the right time, place and situation. I have an example for this context- "There is a homeless guy, sitting on the side of a street. Two men were walking down the street, one poor and one wealthy. Despite being a wealthy man, he is rude and hard-hearted, unlike the poor, who is kind and generous. The rich man did not give attention to the homeless and walked away. But the poor man, in an instant, saw him and decided to help him. He went to a nearby shop and bought some food. He gave him food and a little money and spent time with him. The homeless guy thanked him. His eyes were all filled with tears."

This example shows that the poor guy has shown his value as a person and helped the homeless guy with some food and money. Thus we should use our values at the right time, place and situation. We should not hesitate to help someone in distress and difficulties because even a small help can change someone's life.

I believe that all lives have equal value. That all men and women are created equal. That everyone belongs. That everyone has rights, and everyone has the right to flourish. I believe that when people who are bound by the rules have no role in shaping the rules, moral blind spots become law, and the powerless bear the burden. ... I believe that entrenched social norms that shift society’s benefits to the powerful and its burdens to the powerless not only hurt the people pushed out but also always hurt the whole.

~Melinda Gates

 

Nishan Karki

Pestalozzi Children's Village, India

"APPRECIATION" - Geetankshi Tamta

https://goodschoolsalliance.godaddysites.com/my-good-school

Small word, huh? Sure is, but it holds a tremendous meaning.

Appreciation- A feeling or expression of admiration or gratitude. 

Is that it? I don't think so. 

We often describe 'appreciation' as a core value. When in reality, it's a habit.

Yup! You read it right. Appreciation is not a value. It's a habit which you have to practice daily. 

Now You must be wondering why you should practice appreciation? Shouldn't it come from the heart?

Well, yes, my wonderful readers, you are right. It should come from the heart. But for that too, you must be conscious enough to realize the good things happening around you. In a world full of negativity, consciously and willingly choosing to look at the bright side of everything is what makes appreciation a habit.  

To appreciate something, you should take the time and patience to realize its value, whether it's an opportunity, a thing, or even a person. You can't appreciate a three-course meal you get each day unless you stop complaining about the taste of the food or about how much you hate potatoes. And take time to realize how blessed you are to receive that meal. You won't be able to appreciate your friend's efforts if you won't stop complaining about their bad jokes or loud laugh. Take time and appreciate them for their companionship and support. Instead of being upset with your mother for not buying you that colour box, try appreciating her for her kindness and love for you.

The world can be a whole different place if everyone starts appreciating each other for all the good things they do instead of complaining about their faults; we have to be conscious of actions to make appreciation a habit.

And as Mahatma Gandhi said- 

Your beliefs become your thoughts,

Your thoughts become your words,

Your words become your actions,

Your actions become your habits,

Your habits become your values,

Your values become your destiny. 

So, let's start it today. From now on, each day take a few minutes from your day to sit alone. And with a deep breath, think of all the amazing things and people you can appreciate in your life. Trust me. It will make a huge difference [in a wonderful way]. 

P.S.- It is my first-ever blog.

Written by-

Geetankshi Tamta

(Brand, PR & Marketing Agent at My Good School)

"PEOPLE are more important than THINGS" - Nishan Karki

https://goodschoolsalliance.godaddysites.com/my-good-school

"Most of the important things in the world have been

accomplished by people who have kept on trying 

when there seemed to be no hope at all."

~Dale Carnegie

People and things are very different from each other. People are social beings who can communicate, interact, work, play, and share their thoughts, ideas, emotions and opinions, like other things. Things cannot do all the activities mentioned above. People possess many important values which make them more

important than things. Things are just objects which have a physical presence. Things include utensils, stationery, chair, table, electronics, etc. People only gave the ideas to invent these things. It shows that things exist because of the people who invented them. Therefore people are more important than things.

There are many reasons why people are more important than things. Some of them are listed below:

● People can take care and look out for each other, but things do not. We were not born, nourished and raised by things. It was our parents who did things. Parents are the people who were our first and foremost teachers who taught us to walk, eat, speak, play and help us to know about things.

● People can give us happiness and satisfaction more than things. There are only a few people who get satisfaction and happiness from things. But for most of us, we get satisfaction and happiness from people. People only provide support and help when we face problems in our life. They are the ones who encourage us to follow the right path to get success.

● Parents, friends, teachers, relatives and siblings are the people who make our life meaningful, not things.

● Even the value of gold, silver, diamond, etc., is less compared to people. We will get money by selling these minerals, but we will not get the support, help, encouragement and guidance that people can provide us.

Life would of no meaning if people were not present around us. Without other people in our life, we will have a limited viewpoint to look at the world.

Therefore, PEOPLE are more important than THINGS.

Written by-

Nishan Karki

Pestalozzi Children's Village, India