Would She Return? - Vani Pandey

Bob was a wise, elderly man with no family. He had his house in Dehradun, a peaceful and quiet place indeed. He was a famous writer in his town. People used to pay him a considerable sum to get their hands on his poems and stories. That morning was the clearest of all. The sky was blue. The grass was green and luscious. The perfect weather for writing a novel. But Bob didn't want to write a novel. In fact, he hadn't written one in years. The reason was his daughter. He had a daughter who was 18 when she disappeared. Her name was Stephanie. Bob and Stephanie were taking a stroll outside when Stephanie got a call from the woods, which she followed. She was expected to return in a while, but she never did. 5 years had gone by, and there was no trace of her. After a year of searching, Bob finally gave up the fact that Stephanie would never return. Bob used to spend each moment of his life as a melancholy soul. What could he even do? 

"Stephanie, Oh my dear, where are you now?

We were walking happily, but you went away somehow

 Please come back, my dear; I miss you so much

Play with me like before, and I'll give you a hunch."

That's the one couplet Bob used to speak to himself every second he was idle. He was so miserable. 

But maybe that day was the end of his misery. Because the next day, when Bob was reclining on his antique rocking chair, he glimpsed a young lady coming towards him. She was tall and fair. Her hair was long and straight. She has brown eyes and broad eyelids. Stephanie also had the same features as a teenager. Bob was more certain that she was her daughter when she called," Daddy! I am here at last." Bob stood up, corrected his spectacles and walked briskly towards her in joy. Stephanie ran towards him too. They reached a point and hugged each other tightly. Stephanie was about to give an explanation for her disappearance, but Bob cut her sentence and said," Don't say a word. I want to spend a peaceful time with you, my sweat pea. I will hear your story later on.'' Saying this, he grabbed her hand and took her inside.

Vani Pandey 
VIII C 
Gyanshree School 

The Art of Giving - Rishona Chopra

 

When God blesses you financially, don't raise your standard of living. Raise your standard of giving. - Mark Batterson 

It is true what Mark Batterson has said, we should give not only when we are rich in our everyday lives, we should raise our standard of giving, it may not be just giving money, even giving a toy to a person who needs it or a book is an act of giving too! 

A small act of giving could mean everything to a person. Giving not only makes the other person happy but also makes us happy. As said,' make others happy, and you will be satisfied in the same way give and give, and you will feel better.

Bill Gates, one of the wealthiest people in the world, still has a kind, generous heart. When we are super rich or famous, we tend to become more competitive, and while doing that, we sometimes forget about the value of giving. Giving did no harm to Bill Gates; he has succeeded as a better human being. This doesn't mean we only offer when we are super-rich; we can provide as we wish.

We can give hope, love and happiness, and that is, in fact, faithful giving. When we give, we shouldn't expect the same from a person. We should give from our hearts.

At Christmas, we receive gifts but have we ever thought that instead of receiving, we should give more and buy things, not for us but others in need. If we can not afford it, it makes no sense to buy things for us until we need them. There is a tremendous difference between want and need. When we want something, we don't really need them; when we need them, we want to use them properly. So on Christmas, we should give and not take, and we should give it in such a way that we do not mind if the other offers a return gift. 

Giving is a sense of happiness and pleasure. Making someone smile makes your day smile.

Rishona Chopra 
Grade VI 
Gyanshree School

Human Quality: Humility - Rishona Chopra

Despite living in a world of widespread competition and arrogance, whenever you come across a humble person, have you said – "What a humble person, it was lovely meeting him." Have you experienced how even a little humility goes a long way in giving love and joy to others? Our success may not please someone, but our humility has a universal appeal. 

We all want to be humble and modest, but sometimes, ego seems to take over, and we end up feeling prideful. The simplest way to check is - When we are humble, we are in the giving mode, radiating our love and purity to others. When there is ego, we shift to the asking way where we want to love and respect. And then we start radiating rejection, anger or hurt. If we are not aware of it, there is a possibility that our ego will surface. Remain calm and stable whether you receive appreciation or criticism. Expectations, competition and comparison, will slowly finish. Every time you act with humility, your ego gets defeated.

There is always someone greater than us, someone better. Often we end up in the trap of jealousy rather than appreciating the person. Appreciation for others shows your modesty and humbleness. Instead of thinking about ourselves, we understand other person's efforts. Values like cooperation and respect come in when we have the base of humility ready.

Rishona Chopra
Grade VI
Gyanshree School