What I aspire to be - Arav Agarwal

I remember that since childhood, I have aspired to become a cricketer, and I have been working hard. I go for training and participate in tournaments to achieve my dream.

What I aspire to be

When I was 3, I picked up a bat

And said Howzat

Since childhood, I have been dreaming

To be a cricketer is what I believe

When I turned 6, I started my training

And then nothing could stop me from achieving

Cricket fills me with inspiration

It fuels my aspiration

I want to serve my nation through this sport

And join the cricketers’ cohort

Name: Arav Agarwal
Grade: 6A
Billabong High International School, Thane

Freedom - Gaurangi Rastogi

Freedom is never dear at any price. It is the breath of life. What would a man not pay for living?” -Mahatma Gandhi.

Freedom is a short word in English, but it has profound importance in our life. I hope you know about British Reign in India. We fought for two centuries for our country’s freedom. Some people were violent, and some were non-violent, and why shouldn’t we fight for freedom?

We were burdened with so many taxes that India came into poverty at that time; the crops were failing. There was bloodshed. None of us can forget what happened in 1919, Jallianwala Bagh Massacre. We fought for our rights and stood with unity. But the real meaning of freedom is when we are captured, and we want to get free from that captured scenario and fight for it. 

When we have freedom with us, we don’t value it, but we realise its preciousness when we lose our independence. 

Let me tell you a story that occurred in my family.

Before the 21st century, that means us, my father and his brothers and sisters and my grandparents were there under the scare of my eldest grandfather, Mr Hari Krishan Rastogi. My father’s destiny was already set to be a businessman, but there was a dream to become a cricketer in his heart. Now, whenever my dad is free, he sits and gazes at his cricket kit, But, My father says, “ You can become whatever you aspire, for and you have my consent.” 

This story reminds me of how important freedom of choosing your occupation and speaking your voice is, isn’t it? 

Gaurangi Rastogi

Grade VII

The Doon Girls School

Compassion - Arav Agarwal

Is Your Child Ready to Face the World?

After reading the chapter compassion in the book called Is Your Child Ready to Face the World? by Doctor Anupam Sibal, my reflection on compassion.

Compassion means understanding others' suffering and helping them just like Princess Diana and Mother Teresa did.

I learned the word compassion in the lockdown when I was reading a book called Planting Seeds by Thich Nhat Hanh. There is a chapter in the book called understanding and compassion. The chapter starts with a promise "I vow to develop compassion to protect the lives of people, animals, plants and minerals. The chapter says people like doing different things; suppose you want to read a book and your friend wants to play tennis, you can just read the book later and go out to play tennis with your friend. This small act of understanding and compassion will give your friend joy and make him happy, and you will become satisfied.

After reading that chapter, I realized that everyone was practising compassion and helping each other in the lockdown. We used to practice compassion by helping in household and office work and supporting each other as everything was closed. I also showed compassion and helped my parents in work by cleaning the house and helping in cooking. My parents understood that I couldn't meet my friends, so they played games like cricket, badminton and chess, which I play with my friends. Also, the vendors were very understanding and compassionate, and they used to deliver things quickly and also arranged if they didn't have that thing. Teachers practised compassion by rapidly adapting to online learning and making it fun for us, and being patient in teaching us.

We don't need to do something big to show compassion. Small acts of kindness will show compassion and make a big difference. Everyone can be compassionate; we don't need a superpower to be compassionate. If we do a small act of compassion, we can make a big difference in the person's life which we don't realize. As rightly said by the fourteenth Dalai Lama, "If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion."

Name: Arav Agarwal

Grade: 5C

Billabong High International School, Thane

Freedom - Arav Agarwal

The secret of happiness is freedom. Freedom for me is playing cricket. I enjoy the freedom of playing cricket anytime and anywhere. Be it 5 AM or 1 PM in the night. Freedom lets me make space for my cricket pitch anywhere, at my home, and when I go down to play. I feel very joyful, happy, and energetic when I play cricket. I am sharing some of my pics playing anytime and anywhere.

Name: Arav Agarwal

Grade:5C

Billabong High International School, Thane