2019 International Essay Contest for Young People
【Children’s Category – 2nd Prize】
Kindness: A Choice
(Original)
Maya Amaravathi Sarkar
(Age 14, India)
Kodaikanal International School
Kindness: a word that evokes different images in peoples’ minds. In mine, an unpleasant
memory from my early years. I remember my friend bullying a classmate of mine, taking off
his glasses and throwing it against a wall. She pushed him to the wall and walked away. I
looked down, too afraid to meet the boy’s eyes. More than afraid, I felt ashamed. Ashamed
to call this girl my friend. I watched the boy pick up his glasses and walk towards our
classroom.
“Are you okay?” I asked, sympathetically.
“Yeah,” he replied, “I’m…fine. Don’t worry about it. I don’t really care what she does to
me.” He walked away before I could say “I do”.
I wanted him to know that he was not alone. It had only been a month since he joined
the school, and he was already having a tough time.
Later, I asked her why she bullied that boy, and she shrugged like it was no big deal. I
guess she didn’t realize that, just like one small act of kindness goes a long way, one rude
or mean gesture can also have a lasting impact. I grew increasingly distant to this ‘friend’,
and with this, the boy became one of my closest friends, whom I could trust with anything.
My internal response to this incident, and many others I witnessed, intrigued me and
provoked much thought. What can we do to make society a better place? I realised what
many have come to understand: kindness is like a ripple. One small act creates more,
causing a community to erupt with smiles, laughter, and compassion. I want to be the stone
thrown into the water, causing that kind of ripple.
Likewise, bullying is also a ripple, where people impact others with their own negative
experiences. To stop these ripples from expanding, I need to cause an even stronger and
more influential ripple of kindness within the community.
For a long time I kept questioning myself; why would someone fuel hatred and
disrespect instead of friendship and kindness? I realized that everyone has a choice to be
