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

Happy Mother's Day - Rishona Chopra

This is for you, 

When anything happened, you knew.
You taught me to be true,
And that’s how I grew

You cared for me,
You are the one that makes me feel free!
The kindest one ever,
When I needed you, you were always there whatsoever.

I love you more than anyone, 

Yes, you are the very one!

Rishona Chopra Grade VI Gyanshree School

Forgiveness - Arav Agarwal

Reflection on the chapter forgiveness from the book Is Your Child Ready to Face the World? By Dr Anupam Sibal

I got to know about forgiveness for the first time when I read Dr Anupam Sibal’s book and learned about the magic forgiveness creates. I understood that forgiveness is setting a person free and discovering the person was you itself as when we don’t forgive, we don’t feel good, and it is we who suffer, but if we forgive, then it is we who feel happy.

I had no experience of forgiving someone or someone who has forgiven me. If I happen to meet with such knowledge, I will always keep in my mind that forgiving people is forgiving ourselves.

There are beautiful examples in the book of Nelson Mandela and Mahatma Gandhi who were always forgiving. Nelson Mandela forgave the people responsible for putting him inside the jail for 32 years, and Mahatma Gandhi forgave all people who did wrong with him.

I will never forget that Forgiving is the key to peace and happiness.

Name: Arav Agarwal
Grade: 5C
Billabong High International School, Thane

Forgiveness - Rishona Chopra

 

The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attitude of the strong.
- Mahatma Gandhi

Forgiveness is to let go of resentment and thoughts of revenge. When we forgive, we are happy. While forgiving, we get this sense of happiness because we are free from all negative emotions.

This quote by Lewis B. Smedes says that To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you. This means that when we have a conflict with someone, they are also bound with negative feelings, and so are we. We both are sad and want to solve the fight, but our ego does not allow us to do that. So if we once set the prisoner as in the person we fought with, not only will he be free from the negative feelings, but so will we.

Sometimes we too are hard on ourselves on the most minor mistakes, so we should forgive ourselves.

We should forgive when it is correct. If someone does something terrible, then we should not forgive and forget. Realizing the situation, we should act accordingly.

Rishona Chopra Grade V Gyanshree School

Be what you want to be - Rishona Chopra

 Be what you want to be

Be what you want to be,

You are free, 

Like the leaves swaying on a tree,

You are free!

Like the birds flying across the sky,

You can fly that high.

You can stand up for yourself,

You can be as still as a book on a shelf!

Just be what you want to be,

You are free!

Rishona Chopra Grade V Gyanshree School

Are your thoughts free - Rishona Chopra

Often people say things that hurt us and then capture our thoughts. 
Like, when someone says, “you are not good at drawing at all. I am much better.” These things hurt us, and then we usually start criticizing ourselves. Their thoughts about us capture our thoughts. What people say about us is not necessarily who we are. 
We are who we think we are, so if we start thinking about ourselves as someone else thinks, our thoughts are not free. We are not free at all.

So people can say what they want to, of course, if they say something we must see if what they are saying is true but if not then don’t think about what they say because if your mind doesn’t have free thoughts, then you are not free and if you are not free then how will you be happy and if you are not satisfied then how will you feel peace and if you have no peace then you don’t have a wonderful, happy and peaceful life. And I’m sure all of us want a happy life. Don’t we?

Rishona Chopra Grade V Gyanshree School