Gratitude

Toitoi 21

Page

92

Words by

Wint Kyaw, age 12

Pictures by

Hazel Tweedie, age 12

Translation by

Narration by

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This might seem weird but the thing I am most grateful for is that I live in New Zealand, where freedom is allowed and there are tons of opportunities. My parents and sister used to live in Burma and they had a rough life there. Burma was full of violence and war. I am glad that my parents decided to move to New Zealand because they have given me a good childhood. Now I am trying my best to show them how much I appreciate it.

     The most important thing in a friendship is loyalty. I have realised that I’m not a child anymore and I need to be more careful about who I hang out with. At my age, a lot of people only care about popularity. Apparently, all that matters is how many friends you have, if you’re good at sport and if you’re smart. I wish I could go back to the good old days when no one cared about how you looked or how good you were at things. I’d rather have one true friend than a million fake ones! Make sure you pick good friends and treat them right.

     My perfect day isn’t a shopping spree or winning a million dollars. To me, a perfect day is spending time with friends and family. The day would start with breakfast with my family, then my friends and I would go to each other’s houses and have a blast. We would listen to music, dance, have a feed, tell stories, play games, take pictures and laugh all day.

     At night, we would spend time at the beach, watch the stars shimmer and eat ice cream while shivering in the freezing air. We would play our music really loud and sing our hearts out, go for a late-night swim and enjoy our time. A perfect day is spent with the people I cherish. I want to appreciate the time I have with them.