Friday, 7 July 2023

Autobiography Of An Aloe Vera - Rishona Chopra

Hello, my dear friends! I am Aloe Vera. The most beautiful, most remarkable and kindest plant you have ever seen.

I have done many good deeds in my life with my best friend "Gel". I have healed several people. You might give credit to Gel, but who produced him? Me. Who motivated him? Me. Who supported him? Me. But I am very humble. I'll let you take credit, but we all know who really did the work.  

I have been healing you, humans, for centuries, but what do you do? You cut me in half and apply me on your sticky, dry, sweaty face. You don't care about the pain I go through. You just put me so you get a pretty face, but what on earth happened to my pretty face? And that, my friends, is my struggle in life. 

Rishona Chopra
Grade VII
Gyanshree School

A letter to my future self - Aria Gupta

Image courtesy Getty Stock Images

Sec 104, Noida, Uttar Pradesh

A student from Gyanshree School



6 July 2023


Dear Future Aria Gupta


How are you doing?


Please read this when you're at college or have a job. This is you from the past, and I have tons of questions. Did your/my book get published? I hope it did; I've been working pretty hard on it. What job did I/you get (If I/you have one)? Is it boring? I hope it isn't. Are you/am I happy? I'll blame you if I'm not, even though I'm basically blaming myself.


Here's a list of things I never want to become

  • A bully. What is good in ruining someone's self-esteem?

  • A robber. No one wants to become this! 

  • An introvert. I want to have many friends and be super social. Just know, no offence to those who are one.

  • A drama queen. Ugh, I hate those people; they make the most significant problem out of the most minor things.


If you are any of those things, I'm warning you in advance, then guilt will take control of you!


Anyways, do you think I’m stupid and immature? It’s totally fine if you do. Just kidding, no way I’ll forgive that. I don’t care that much if someone says bad things about me, but not myself!


Got to go now! Bye!


Your Past self

10-year-old Aria Gupta (Grade 6)

Appreciation - Tenzin Jambey


Image courtesy Pestalozzi World website.

Regarding appreciation, the image of people clapping for you and words like thanks and thank you come into our minds. Almost every people appreciate others by saying thanks and thank you. Some people think that only getting the word of thanks from others is an application, but I don't think about it that way.

Regarding my application work, I have done numerous good jobs. Whenever I do any good job or something, I first appreciate myself because it doesn't bring me any sadness or down feeling because of not being appreciated for my good work by someone; we should be the first to enjoy ourselves if we do any kind of work. Doing an excellent job in the presence of someone can be seen, and others might praise you for that, but being yourself without anyone's presence is a different thing; at that moment, there is no one to clap for you, and that's the moment when we should pat on our back for doing a good job. We should be good and kind to all humans, but what about plants and animals? They, too, have the right to live a long peaceful life. Humans are taking so much from nature and animals; in return, we are doing nothing helpful but destroying, killing and taking their life.

We should be kind to the plants and all the animals around us; in the hostel, I have planted varieties of flowers and plants since I am so attached to nature and the environment, and sometimes I water them in the evening. When I see that the soil level is unequal, I add soil and organic fertilizer like cow dung and decomposed vegetable peals. After returning from my vacation, I found that the plants had dried, and some had even died. I felt sad about that as I cared for them with my heart, I watered them, and the next day I saw them growing again, which thrilled me. No one appreciated me, as none saw me doing that, but when I appreciated myself, I heard the soundless appreciation of my plants and flowers. As the wind blew, they began to move, and I imagined they were dancing and singing with joy because I had watered them after so long.

We must come out of the mindset that being only kind to a human does not bring us appreciation, we must equally respect our mother earth and all the components of nature like air, water, land, soil, fire and even the dumb stones that stays in a fixed position and says nothing but we use it for many purposes.

Tenzin Jambey
Pestalozzi Children's Village India