Solace in Books - Ishika Shrivastava

"Books" are that one constant companion throughout the whole life and "Reading" is that one habit which brings joyous colours to your life. 

People who understand the art of reading will always find peace in it because books aren't only for reading but can also act as a safe place for many people. 

The enhancement of vocabulary and good communication skills are some of the important skills that one can have which is actually a necessity in the real world, they can also make your point of view even larger and you get to understand people and your surroundings more properly and in an adequate manner. 

With clarity in mind and diverging eyes to the sites,

there you are with a gift of seeking out the beauty in the darkest of times 

with all the prowess in your hands,

embrace the shower of familiarity that has been long forgotten.

Here I am, resting my words by resonating that reading is essential for those who seek to rise above the ordinary 

Ishika Shrivastava

Grade-12 

Sunbeam Suncity School and Hostel

The True Success - Tenzin Nyesel

For me, Success means achieving a goal that you have set in your life. Even if it is just getting better marks in any subject.

Success is a feeling when you are well satisfied with what you have or got. Achieving success does not always mean becoming a topper in class or becoming a rich person. 

Sometimes it's just us who feel we have done better work that we couldn't do or attempt before.

Tenzin Nyesel
Class 10th,

Pestalozzi Children's Village Society

The Way of Home - Ati Pema

PC- Ati Pema

The Way of Home

"A leopard never changes its spots."
- Anonymous

Far beyond the distant chains of ice, stone and snow in the land of the icey plateau lies my dwelling, enveloped by the stone and dust that gives me my livelihood. I have to hunt those devilishly quick prey that leaps away on cliffs and claws away on the ridges (Even when they have none!). 

Fearless they are so I too have to become such, though they are swift, they lack much awareness and are lost in their petty fights. I can creep up on them quickly, and with my colour, they rarely see me! But a lot has changed since my solitude; there are more mouths to feed than my own.

My hunting days are longer and more gruelling, and hunting itself has become more complicated than it once was. My prey left their grazing ground and now lives on the planes in numbers more prominent than I had ever seen. It would be good if those two-legged skin changers did not look over them. They, too, live in herds of hundreds in their own lands, where they carve the plateau to their liking. 

I would not be much concerned, but lately, the snow on the hill, which once shone white, has been painted grey with dust. I can no longer hide under my camouflage! 

I take my cubs wherever I go as now my own kind threatens them in these difficult times. 

What had changed in the time I grew? Where is the land I knew? The snow, the ice and those green pastures. What could be the cause? 

Yet there is no time to complain as even those two-legged beasts are now hunting us! Will my cubs ever see the world I saw? Will they never hear the silent breath they take as they go for their first hunt? I shan't throw away my hope. As times have gone and become such, it will change once more. 

Ati Pema

St. Thomas College

Abraham Lincoln - Nishan Karki

Picture Courtesy: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Abraham_Lincoln_head_on_shoulders_photo_portrait.jpg

Abraham Lincoln was an American lawyer, politician and statesman, who served as the 16th president of the United States of America from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. He was born near Hodgenville, Kentucky on February 12, 1809. His family moved to Indiana when he was seven and he grew up on the edge of the frontier. He had very little formal education but read voraciously when not working on his father’s farm. 

Lincoln’s legacy is based on his momentous achievements: he successfully waged a political struggle and civil war that preserved the Union, ended slavery, and created the possibility of civil and social freedom for African Americans. 

Abraham Lincoln was also a good thinker and orator. Lincoln's emergence as a great orator dates from 1854 when he made a memorable speech in Peoria, on October 6, of that year. This was his first major attack on the position of Senator Douglas who was the leader of the Illinois Democrats. 

"His manner is neither fanciful nor rhetorical, but logical.

His thoughts are strong and are strongly joined together. 

He is a close reasoner, and has the faculty of making himself clearly understood." 

-Galena (Illinois) North-Western Gazette, 

July 1856. 

Abraham Lincoln has given many famous quotes which are known worldwide. 

Some of them are as follows:-

●“Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power.” 

● “No man has a good enough memory to be a successful liar.” 

● “If you would win a man to your cause, first convince him that you are his sincere friend.” 

● “Perhaps a man’s character is like a tree, and his reputation like its shadow; The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing.” 

● “I am not concerned that you have fallen; I am concerned that you arise.

Nishan 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.

There are many dimensions to every person - Tulsi Karki

Picture Courtesy: https://www.researchgate.net/figure/A-human-being-exists-in-three-dimensions-and-all-of-them-must-be-in-their-natural_fig1_8893032

There are different dimensions - to a physicist, it simply means direction or, to be very precise, a pair of opposite directions at right angles to another dimension, as stated in Phys.org reports. 

Likewise, cultural dimensions summarize the extent to which cultural groups are found empirically to differ in terms of psychological attributes such as values, beliefs, self-construals, personality, and behaviour. 

The cultural dimensions are constructed to track value shifts across generations when society goes through modernization and post-modernization - as a result of interaction between cultures, political entities and economies. If we talk about dimension for a person, it means - he has to reach his goal. 

Everyone has a dream. And we need to work hard and achieve many things to make those dreams real. 

And thus, we have to face many difficulties to get our dimensions right. 

Tulsi Karki

Pestalozzi Children's Village, India.

There are many dimensions to every person - Aria Gupta

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

You might be wondering - why I haven't written this article in story form. It's because this topic has many details to consider. And I think that it's hard to convert it into a good story.

Moving on to the topic, we first need to define the meaning of dimensions. Dimensions may imply different things to different people. It could refer to their life responsibilities (mother, friend, etc.) or personality characteristics and traits. Ultimately, the dimensions of a person cover the numerous qualities that comprise a person. 

In my opinion, every role has a dimension that includes attributes. A student's role, for example, may involve characteristics such as procrastination or being studious (the traits vary from person to person). These characteristics and dimensions - create and define the individual's identity and contribute to their unique personality. People's dimensions can also include their talents and abilities, such as creative or intellectual ability. attributes

I won't say that our physical appearance is counted as a dimension; in reality, a person's true worth lies within their character and capabilities. These dimensions shape how individuals interact with the world around them and influence their behaviour and decision-making. 

Moreover, they play a crucial role in determining one's personal and professional growth, as they impact one's motivation, resilience, and overall well-being. Therefore, it is essential to recognise and nurture those dimensions to embrace and express one's true self.

To sum it up, dimensions refer to various roles of a person, including different life responsibilities, personality traits, talents, and abilities. They shape behaviour, decision-making, motivation, resilience, and overall well-being and are crucial for personal and professional success. Recognising and nurturing these dimensions is essential.

Aria Gupta

Grade VI || Gyanshree School

There are many dimensions to every person - Nishan Karki

Picture Courtesy: https://www.researchgate.net/figure/A-human-being-exists-in-three-dimensions-and-all-of-them-must-be-in-their-natural_fig1_8893032

"Life has its dimensions in the mysterious." 

-Jesse Jackson

There are many dimensions to every person. People possess their qualities and abilities. These qualities are not singular but numerous. Here, dimensions refer to the inner and outer capacities of a person. 

Everyone has their unique qualities and experiences. Engaging with new things adds to a person's extent. It helps them gain knowledge and learn new things. The more experience a person has, the more dimensions they possess. 

A person's dimensions determine their value. Each individual has their way of doing things and interpreting situations. They all have different perspectives and views. It is about their approach to tasks. 

Some people take the world very seriously, remaining sad and bleak. They do not attempt to emerge from their sorrowful nature. They conceal their thoughts and feelings. They do not endeavour to explore their outer dimensions, instead becoming absorbed in their inner dimensions. Thus, people should strive to think outside the box and not remain confined to their inner thoughts.

On the other hand, there are people of an open and joyous nature. They share almost all moments and experiences with others. They consistently think outside the box, learning and experiencing new things. Others enjoy the company of such individuals.

However, there are exceptional people as well. For instance, some remain quiet but think outside the box. And explore their outer dimensions and potential. In contrast, some people are very talkative and joyful by nature. Yet, they do not think outside the box and explore their outer dimensions and potential. 

In concluding these observations, we understand that a person's definition is not solely shaped by their external nature and behaviour. It also encompasses their inner nature, thinking process, and communication skills. Each approaches things differently. Hence, every person has various dimensions that make them unique. 

Nishan Karki

Pestalozzi Children's Village, India.

Success is Good but Significance is Better - Tenzin Norsang

Picture Courtesy: https://sunshine-parenting.com/halftime-moving-from-success-to-significance/

An unknown author said it so well, “Success is good, but significance is better.” 

People of today’s world have come to think that money is everything to gain happiness in one’s life. 

Well, there is no doubt that you need it to lead a beautiful life, but it provides us bliss only to some extent. It can buy us the most luxurious and fancy things in this world. But still, it cannot buy us internal peace, true love and happiness. 

We seek all these only when we give ourselves to others that we find true merriness. 

A wise man once said, “Selfless service is the rent that one should pay to live on this planet.” Through selfless service, we make others jubilant and content. It also soothes our hearts with pleasure. It fills our minds with positivity and everlasting memories. 

Helping others leads you to the path of finding your purpose in life. It also assists you in discovering inner peace.  Wealth can only define a person's financial status. It cannot express their humility. 

If someone wants to be successful, earning money should be one of his priorities. However, it shouldn't become their highest priority. The highest priority in one’s life should be helping others achieve success. 

As a wise man once said, and I quote, “The one who holds the purse, holds the power”, which is a universal truth. An affluent person is bestowed with two powers and must choose between them. They can either lend a helping hand to the weaker sections of society, alleviating their suffering, or they can exploit them to the fullest, misuse their power, and instil fear in their hearts. 

It is rightly said that a wealthy person’s humility is defined by how they spend their money. Leaving a positive impact on society is achievable by extending a helping hand to those in need.

In summary, money is something that provides temporary satisfaction and happiness. Accumulating wealth can grant power and high status in life, but it will not grant happiness. One can achieve the greatest happiness by giving oneself to others and adding value to their lives. What matters most in life is not just personal success, but also significance.

Tenzin Norsang

Pestalozzi Children's Village. India.

Does believing help escape the person out of negativism? - Tenzin Jambey

Picture Courtesy: https://www.calmsage.com/how-to-control-negative-thoughts/

Believing in one has both positive and negative impacts. 

In this writing, I'm sharing two incidents that happened because of believing in others:-

The good impact(s):-

We 'people' don't have any proof of whether ghosts and spirits exist. But still, we have been told from a young age about ghost stories, myths and legends. We have developed thoughts upon that, and when we go into the dark or walk alone in a quiet place, we feel scared. 

We sometimes feel like someone's there other than a human being watching over us. I turn my head here and there when I walk alone because people have made a habit of spreading negative beliefs, which has impacted me. And that can further lead to disasters. 

Sometimes, some people see unusual things and images that we can't see due to psychological reasons or due to a lack of courage and also due to the feeling of fear. They think that ghosts and spirits are roaming around them, and to overcome this problem, they visit temples and take the blessings of gods and spiritual leaders, which makes them feel better and consolidated. 

After offering worship to their deities, people believe the ghosts or spirits have left them. Many psychological problems develop in our minds due to believing in unreal and unseen things and images. Making people do activities like visiting the temple and doing some mental activities helps one to overcome these things, but believing is the most important thing. 

So, 'believing' has both negative and positive results. 

The negative impacts which arise due to believing:-
In this case, I want to share an incident. The incident took place near my Village in Arunachal Pradesh. There are many tribal people in Arunachal, and most of them are really into religious beliefs and rituals. 

I am a Buddhist by religion, and the incident is from the Buddhist committee. In our villages and nearby villages, we have a monk in each who can see the past life of a newborn child by performing rituals. 

One such thing happened when a lady gave birth to a child. The child had two grown teeth, which seemed very strange and even scary to people. When the monk was called upon to look into this matter, he clearly stated that a ghost had been born in human form. And that it was a sign of bad luck. With that statement, the poor lady with her child and husband was sentenced to a lifetime exile. 

How can people believe some spiritual leaders so blindly that they are even ready to agree and declare a newborn child a ghost or monster just because of some disabilities and natural teeth? Whereas science says that it's nothing but just a rare case and the mother who gave birth to the child must be proud and happy that her child is rare.

She really should be happy with herself rather than listening to the stupid shitty things of people who called her child a ghost or a monster just because they had never seen this thing before.

Therefore, I would conclude my writing by saying that we must look beyond the things that appear. We people don't look at things how they are but look at them how we think about them. That's why education is a necessity. 

Moreover, acquiring knowledge and looking for a positive outcome in a strangely difficult situation is most important.

Tenzin Jambey

Pestalozzi Children's Village, India.

Does believing help escape the person out of negativism? - Tenzin Norsang

Picture Courtesy: https://coralspringscounselingcenter.com/stop-negative-thinking/

A wise man once said, and he said it so well - 

“Believing in one’s self is the essential key and necessity if one wants to achieve and acquire higher and greater goals in one’s life.”

The person who believes in himself has the ability and the capability to conquer anything. Robin Sharma said, and I quote - 

“Your mind is a good servant but a tyrannical leader.” 

A person who has faith in himself is one who has mastered the art of controlling his mind. He who believes in himself - has been bestowed with the power that has the intensity to change the world.

What are negative thoughts?
Negative thoughts are thoughts which are pessimistic and demotivating in nature. Such thoughts create a feeling of unrest and doubt in oneself. 

When do such thoughts pop up in our minds?
Such thoughts cloud our minds during the disturbing and dark times in our lives. During such a phase in our life, we doubt our abilities, skills and capabilities, but most of all, we mistrust ourselves, which creates a hindrance that obstructs and blocks our way from achieving our goals. 

In this life course, if someone wants to overcome such thoughts, he should have faith and believe in himself. Many people in today's world are facing and going through tough times. 

When someone's life is shadowed by darkness, he has two choices. Either he could be the one who curses the darkness. Or he could be the one who lights a candle amidst the darkness. Here, 'lighting the candle amidst the dark' - is symbolic of self-belief and driving out all your negative thoughts and emotions from your mind and body. 

Thus, Believing in oneself means self-assurance and motivating oneself throughout difficult times. 

Self-belief transforms a person into being willing, pressure-resilient, confident, peaceful, and the master of one’s mind. He demonstrates the “Never give up” attitude till the end, whatever the unfolded result is. 

Believing in oneself automatically leads to the expulsion of negative thoughts and assists him in escaping out of it.

Tenzin Norsang

Pestalozzi Children's Village, India.

3 R's of Leadership - Nishan Karki

Picture Courtesy: https://emeritus.org/in/learn/what-is-leadership/

"A good leader takes little more than his share of the blame, 

a little less than his share of the credit."

-Arnold H. Glasow

Leaders often practice the three R's:- 

● Respect for self 

● Respect for other 

● Responsibility for their actions

To be a true leader, one should have self-respect, respect others, and be responsible for all his actions. 

A leader is a courageous and supportive person who supports and encourages people. A true leader supports his team and helps them to exceed their potential. 

Some leaders may act as bosses and only give commands and would not support, encourage or help their teams. But a true leader works as part of the team, influences, supports, inspires and encourages the team.

Now, let us talk about the three R's:-

● Respect for all: First of all, self-respect means a feeling of confidence and pride in yourself. Leaders have and need to keep their self-respect. Respecting themselves helps them view their actions and know their abilities, capabilities, and potential. Knowing themselves assists them to do their work efficiently, effectively and conveniently.

● Respect for others: Leaders - not only respect themselves but also other people. Leaders must respect all of their team members so that they all will coordinate and cooperate with them. It helps develop trust and makes a good relationship between the leader and the team. The team will have a positive attitude towards him. Thus, the team will also support, cooperate and coordinate with the leader. 

● Responsibility for their actions: Leaders take responsibility for their actions. Taking responsibility will help the leader to improve his leadership. He will be able to do his work more conveniently and will solve problems with ease. Thus, taking responsibility for all their actions is a critical task for the leader. 

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

"Leaders aren’t born they are made. And they are made just like anything else, through hard work. And that’s the price we’ll have to pay to achieve that goal or any goal."

~ Vince Lombardi

Nishan Karki

Pestalozzi Children's Village, India.

There are many dimensions to every person - Kiran Vehniwal

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

'There are many dimensions to every person'.

The statement in itself holds different meanings and perspectives. To some, it may be in physical dimensions and to some in the context of psychological aspects. 

Every individual has their own experiences. Some come from his inner self, and some from the outer world. Sometimes it matters the most to one person, but it may not to another. That does not make one right and the other wrong. It's just their insight to see things. 

The mind plays the most role in demonstrating different dimensions of a person. It has its logic and reasons to interpret a situation. Some see life as full of choices and risks to take and live it to the fullest. 

For some, life is just an assigned challenge they take and pass on to make it to the other end. They fail to enjoy and cherish little moments in their journey when they get too busy making a life than living life.

And sometimes, the outer world changes the inner self. That's where the two dimensions collide, and the individual moves to a different personality dimension. 

The question that arises is how to understand an individual's needs to make them comfortable with him when a person has different extents and at some point fails to interpret what he wants.

Kiran Vehniwal

Prita Lee Lesson School

Leadership - Tulsi Karki

Picture Courtesy: https://www.thebalancemoney.com/leadership-definition-2948275

If you have worked in any successful groups, whether you have led them or participated in them, you have experience as a leader. You contribute to the team, ensure you have met the deadlines, and build strong teamwork and communication skills. 

Being a prefect, I had the opportunity to show that I am responsible, reliable, and capable of taking on leadership roles. I have gained confidence in fulfilling the role successfully. I have realised that I could make contributions to my school. It demonstrated that I can be a role model to others. 

Gain achievement points for completing duties and maintaining discipline. I have learned that we had to be cooperative, helpful, well-mannered, trustworthy and responsible. 

Be respectful towards teachers, peers, and the school environment. Display leadership qualities: confidence, initiative, and problem-solving skills.

Tulsi Karki

Pestalozzi Chldren's Village, India.

The Accounts of Monsoon - Shambhavi Nautiyal

Picture Courtesy: https://pixels.com/featured/monsoon-children-shashikanta-parida.html?product=greeting-card

Monsoon: The Month of Nourishment and Rejuvenation

Monsoon, the season of coolness and relief, is a reminder or a tradition for many of us to feast on some pakoras with chai and listen to the soothing patter of the raindrops, being present at the moment and having a laugh or two with our dear ones. 

Rain is an emotion for all of us. Whilst movie makers and writers may be obsessed with having the main lead mewl in the rain to hide their tears, it is a source of glee for many of us. It is like a treasure chest of so many memories. 

As children, we dance in the rain and then 'jump up and down' in the muddy puddles with our friends. 

Monsoon to me means reunion as, as a child, I would always be at Nani's home during monsoon with all of my cousins. We dance in the rain, feeling the cooling water taking all our worries and tension, if any, away. It felt like the love of Lord Indra being showered all over us, surrounded by the exhilaration, jauntiness and ecstasy common in our attitude.

At night time or sometimes even in the day itself, the place being  Dehradun, the weather would get so biting that we would have to take our sweaters out. Regardless, it is best to fall asleep to the background music of the rain without turning it up on a device. 

Even today, it is my ritual to leave any task and go out as soon as it starts to rain, to have my sense of adventure and precariousness, unless I need to work. Many students get a holiday or early home time following the floods caused by rains. 

June and July bring monsoons to India and are known as the month of 'Ashada', according to the Hindu calendar. This season brings relief from the sun's scorching heat and puts us all, if not at least me, in a relaxed and comforted mood. 

And so I wish you all to be mindful and grateful for the season of nourishment and rejuvenation.

Shambhavi Nautiyal

Class- 9 || Ahlcon Public School

Does believing help escape the person out of negativism? - Tenzin Nyesel

Picture Courtesy: https://devpost.com/software/escaping-the-negativity

Does believing in one help escape the person out of their negative thoughts?

I believe that. 

Sometimes trusting or having faith in one helps to come out of that difficult situation in our mind. It might even free your mind when you have someone beside you to give you that positive vibe. 

I have been through this situation many times - where you feel that you don't have self-love, self-confidence and self-respect towards yourself. 

But having someone with whom you can share all your innermost fears and ideas can heal those negative thoughts. It frees you from thoughts which have been bugging you in daily life. 

Tenzin Nyesel

Pestalozzi Children's Village, India.

Thoughts on Independence Day - Smarika Karki

Picture Courtesy: https://in.pinterest.com/pin/847310117411723826/

Being independent is the state or quality of being free from the control, influence, support, or the like of

others. 

Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru guided India's eventual independence in 1947 by resisting non-violently to British rule. The large-scale communal violence took before and after the subcontinent partition into two separate states - India and Pakistan. India celebrated its 77th independence day on Tuesday, August 15th, 2023. 

We should celebrate Independence Day every year because it glorifies the day when the Indian Independence Act came into effect. The Act established India and Pakistan as separate countries, no longer under British imperialist rule.

Smarika Karki

Pestalozzi Children's Village, India.

Why Does My Voice Matter? - Shambhavi Nautiyal

Picture Courtesy: https://www.yourdictionary.com/articles/voice-descriptions

My voice matters because 'I matter'. 

I want my voice to matter to all. My voice is purely the interpretation of my thoughts. And it resonates with my soul's reflection on what my body and my mind are going through. It fabricates all of my emotions, opinions, beliefs and desires. It unfolds one by one like the onion peels layer by layer, taking physical form, and I turn my thoughts into reality. 

My voice raises my apprehensions. And sometimes, it unravels my reality. It often unleashes the truth of my core. It lets me stand tall with my head held high.

My voice has been raised on innumerable instances - whenever my existence was questioned; whenever my presence was neglected; whenever my efforts were made meaningless; whenever my credibility was shaken. 

It is not that I raise my voice only if I am overlooked. I am also vocal when it comes to my loved ones' well-being. I also voice it whenever it is a matter of my faith. When it comes to my nation, I never lose the opportunity to take a stand and vote my opinion. That is my karma.

So, it matters how I use my voice.

Do I use my voice to manipulate others?

Or Do I use it to spread negativity and cuss at them, or do I use my voice to show gratitude, express love and use words of kindness and comfort for others?

That is what matters. 

No matter what you say or how you use your voice, it does make a difference. 

If you choose to be flippant and hurtful, it shall harm the people around you for the time being, but ultimately it shall come back to you since then, no one shall want to be friends with you and will start eviting you. Thus, your voice will eventually lose all its meaning, and at last, it will not matter anymore.

However, if you use your voice otherwise, then it shall be reciprocated with pleasure, and you will receive more happiness since now you have learned how to appreciate the things that you have.
When you learn to love yourself, you will start feeling confident. And also deflect people with remorse in their voices. In return for all the good that we do, we receive good, too. 

We should learn to trust that our voices matter because then we can present ourselves and our ideas in the most captivatingly confident manner.

As citizens of this world, we should keep exploring ourselves and honing our skills. We avoid questioning each of our beliefs. We work and focus on embarking on and strengthening the flourishing ones and eliminating the detrimental and deteriorating ones. 

Voicing our thoughts in an upright manner brings a difference in our life. It sharpens the outlook of a wider diaspora commendably. That is how the changes brought in mundane tasks and procedures. That is how the laws are made. That is how the amendments are brought into reality, bringing brimming smiles to the downtrodden section of society. 

Each voice does matter as it facilitates the formation of a powerful road map and vital development of one's nation and ensures accomplishment. Let us have some faith in our worth and keep believing that we all are worthy by simply existing and being ourselves. 

In the end, I would conclude with a famous quote from Steve Jobs that says - 

Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice.

That is all which matters. As human beings, our voices deserve a hearing. Since we are always looking forward to improved facilities and lifestyles for humans living on this planet, and in this process, we can only achieve the best with communication and collaboration whilst having mutual respect.

Shambhavi Nautiyal
Class- 9 || Ahlcon Public School

A visit home - Aati Pema Tseagon

Picture Courtesy: https://in.pinterest.com/pin/AauyxzXZpvdywUpwLlxqKvXBDcUltP2AVoiEG2mXDCRrU0Fqif6MyM8/

A wind blew past my face, giving me shivers down my spine.

After nearly escaping death, I was still haunted by a daunting sensation which held my stomach tight. Since I wasn't bound, I could swim freely. So I dove right back into the waters. Moving my hands over the rough cement floors, I occasionally opened my eyes to find my cousin. 

He was with me when I returned for my bottle, and since I found myself here. I could not make myself think that he was there as I had almost drowned in my escape. But, since no one resurfaced with me, only the worst could have happened if he was down here. 

After five dives, I felt exhausted. Without any rest, my limbs complained of their state. I had now covered the whole tank floor and found nothing except the rubbles. With my search completed, I emerged out of the waters. 

I saw it was still early, and as I climbed out of the tank, I was again back in the world I knew the forest. But my anxiety had not gone. And now that I was out, another adrenaline dose rushed through my body. I ran as fast as I could, traversing the path as quickly as possible with my tired legs. But after a while, I had to rest. My legs fell beneath my body as I leaned against a trunk, my body shook, and I had to sit down. 

For the first time, I saw my state - my whole body covered with bruises and gashed with cuts. My wrists were bleeding from the slight tears, but I was immune to all the pain by then. As I again got up, something felt wrong, not with my body but as if I was being watched. 

I scanned over my shoulders; seeing no one there, I continued running until I reached the road. I came up with a weird sense of relief as I got out of the forest. The trees were quiet, with no noise from the birds or the languors. It made an eerie silence broken only by the sound of my footsteps and the few cars which came by. I stopped on a bike for a lift to Charles Valley. 

From there, I got off to walk the rest of the way. I hoped to see my cousin at home and my parents asleep, but as soon as I came in front of my house, my mother came rushing down, calling my name. I told myself I was in for a good smack right then and there. But something weird happened. 

My mother hugged me, and as I looked around, confused, I saw my cousin coming out, which made me feel a lot better. I wanted to ask what happened, but before I could, my mother asked me where have I gone? I told her about the whole exploration but left out what happened afterwards as I did not want to bring it up. 

My cousin had been looking at me. He said he had not gone with me till the tank. As I suddenly disappeared from beside him. This left me with more questions than before, but I felt that it was somehow related to the eerie feeling I had gotten before. 

I never told anyone what happened to me and what I felt, but since then, I haven't gone into the forest for explorations, and until now, no one knew of this place. I continued my life as it was before, I still feel an urge to explore what had happened then since it's still a mystery for me, and maybe it's better to be left it that way.

Aati Pema Tseagon

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