Acceptance - Rishona Chopra

Acceptance is considering people as they are. It is not knowing people's faults and not talking about them. That is being sympathetic. Acceptance is to not even realise one has flaws or is disabled; it is just to consider them equal to you.

In the book Totto-chan, Takahashi was short, but no one talked about it because they probably didn't realise that he was disabled or had faults. They just accepted him as a child. 

When we grow up, we know more, we know the faults, we know when one is disabled and when we see that, we even stop feeling pity for them! That is why our brain cannot use it to its total capacity because the more we know, the more problems we create. Life will unfold itself. We don't have to force it to open its destiny. 

In an extract from Peter Pan, Peter says to Wendy: Children don't believe in fairies because they know more than what they are supposed to know, and that's why fairies are fading from the world.

Accepting people is looking at their good qualities, not at their faults, because after all, everyone is different and no one is perfect.

Rishona Chopra 
Grade VI 
Gyanshree School

Acceptance In Your Heart - Gaurangi Rastogi

Every day, we encounter different people with different personalities, some are very judgemental, or some don't judge according to their appearance. A few years ago, I met a woman who was an acid attack survivor. Her face was very burnt out that the nagging aunties would gossip about her. She heard the conversation but did not say anything.

I was a little judgemental at the time of the situation. I dared to talk to the woman, but the aunties made her go away from the avenue. Was it essential to make her go away? As she is not beautiful like others. That's what Acceptance is... accepting others, not based on looks, clothes, or wealth.

Accepting limitations of friends and family important, like: Snoring, Sleepwalking and incidents like the story of Takahashi. In addtion we must follow some habits of friends too.

'Takahashi,' the value is Acceptance, like Totto-chan accepts the boy as her friend.

Can't we accept others as our friends? Will you still not receive a person if disabled or with any other challenge?

Gaurangi Rastogi 
Class VII 
The Doon Girls School 

Reflection on reading Totto-chan: The Little Girl at the Window - Takahashi

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