A Family Like No Other

Author's Note: This piece I have written is for the Patriot's Pen contest. It had to be within 300-400 words. This year's topic was, what would you say to America's founding fathers. So I hope that you think about this and enjoy what I've wrote.

“Tis done. We have become a nation.” This quote, written by one of our founding fathers, Benjamin Rush, has made our country what it is today. It has been 236 years since we became the United States of America. This credit goes to the men who wrote the Constitution. Since 1776, our nation has been separated from Great Britain. To proclaim this freedom, the Declaration of Independence was created  along with the Constitution. These two documents have helped us grow and become unified as a country and most importantly, as a “family”. If I were to meet our founding fathers, there isn’t much I would say, yet I’d say two simple words: thank you, and I would also give them a picture of the American flag.

Thank you. Each word isn’t powerful by themselves, yet when you put them together it’s almost as if two teams have joined forces. Without our founding fathers we wouldn’t have laws, a society, or even a government. There’s a million ways we could show them the respect and honor we have towards them, but the most meaningful way is to say thank you. I take this moment to recognize all of the men who signed the Constitution. They may not be here right now, but their souls are sure to be floating around in this very room. Thank you for everything, without you this piece of land we stand upon wouldn’t be the USA.

“A picture is worth a thousand words” is a phrase that has been emerged throughout the world in the 20th century. A photograph of something or someone speaks to each person differently. Instead of writing to these men, or talking to them, why not give them a picture? Not just any picture, but one of our flag. The banner with thirteen stripes and fifty stars. Over the past 200 years our country has changed so much. By giving them a picture, each one of our founding fathers can experience it for themselves. All of this can be seen through each of their eyes in a different way within a picture.

Our country has developed so much since the founding fathers wrote the Constitution and Declaration of Independence. I thank each and every one of them from the bottom of my heart. It was because of these men, that our “family” has been unified and become the United States of America.

Another Life of Me

Author's Note: In this piece, I have analyzed the cause and effects of an event that has happened in my life. Please look for the voice in my writing. I hope that you also think back to a time in your life that has been a gift, and has changed you for who you are!

Each event in our lives happen for a reason; because of one cause we have may effects that come out of it. They are all permanently written in our story, some of them are highlights in our lives, while others are ones that we wish could be erased. In my book one event has changed my life drastically, and that is when I moved to Pewaukee, WI. It all started, when my dad got a job transfer when we lived in India. I didn’t know much because of the fact that I was only two years old. I obviously couldn’t say anything about it, and so I went with the flow. Without that one flight to the US, my life would’ve been so different. I look back into the past, and think what if we didn’t move here. What would’ve happened to me? This one event in my life, changed everything that was going to happen in the near future.

After moving to the US, we first went to West Virginia. My mom, my brother, and I stayed there for a year while my dad came to Waukesha. Later, we moved to Pewaukee with him. Each event that happened, had so many effects to it. Because of my move to Pewaukee, I had a privilege of meeting so many great people. I have made so many friends here ! Each day turns out to be better than the last. Without that move, I wouldn’t have this life I stand in. I wouldn’t have these friends, the vacations, I wouldn’t have any of this. Those few words, “We are moving to Pewaukee!” have my life to its absolute best!

If I didn’t move to Pewaukee, I don’t know what would’ve happened to me. I would’ve lived the lifestyle of a little Indian girl. I still do today, but in a different way. Each time I go and visit, I wonder, “This could’ve been me.” Living here has been a gift, I couldn’t have asked for anything better. Those few words, that one flight, basically that one day, has changed me for who I am. Would I have been different if I lived in India. Would I have ever had the chance to travel the world? I don’t know, but there is something that I do, I have an amazing life. I should be happy with what I have and never be upset with what I don’t. I would’ve been a different Kavitha, if it weren’t for my dad’s job transfer. So thank you, living in Pewaukee is a gift that I shall never forget, no matter what I do and where I go. 

The End of Harry Potter

Author’s Note: In the Reading Lab we learned about conflicts and resolutions in a novel. To show my knowledge on this topic, I chose to analyze the conflict and its resolution in the book Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

Harry Potter, is a boy who was born to two wizards. He has gone through a long journey of six wonderful years at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, but each year is chances of living are getting smaller by the second. With his two best friends, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, the three of them battle Lord Voldemort, the evil wizard, and his deathly followers. When Harry was young, Voldemort murdered Harry’s parents and disappeared after his attempt to kill Harry as a baby. At his last year at Hogwarts Harry finds to know that there is a way to kill and defeat Lord Voldemort, to find and destroy all six Horcruxes, which are well hidden and defended by the Lord himself. Harry must find these Horcruxes, that Lord Voldemort created for him to live forever, without him knowing and kill the Lord before time runs out.

Throughout the book, Harry finds these six Horcruxes, the Sword of Gryffindor, the Slytherin locket, the Hufflepuff cup, Marvolo’s ring, Ravenclaw’s diadem, Tom Riddle’s diary, and Nagini. To kill Voldemort, Harry must destroy these objects that Voldemort created. After finding and extinguishing the six Horcruxes, Harry thinks that he has destroyed all of them. But there is a seventh one, Harry himself. In order to kill Voldemort Harry must die, and so he does, but at the end he was not dead, he wakes up and kills Lord Voldemort. There are so many details that are put into this book in order for people to understand all of these different objects that were made for this series. The life of Harry Potter, is different and hard to understand, but it is also very interesting. Harry Potter, is a wizard of full potential is known to all of the world. His story is told from one generation to the other, and each time it is told, it never gets old. 

Past's Present

Author’s Note: This piece I have wrote is a personal narrative. Unlike others, I’ve reflected upon a past event. In my writing, look for the use of similes and metaphors, also look for the voice in this piece. I hope that you are taken back into the future, and recognize the importance of certain aspects in our lives.

"Attention all passengers, there has been a little mishap on the runway. A tire has burst and the arrival at General Mitchell Airport will be delayed for a few moments. I will keep you up to date with more information about what's happening down on the tarmac. Thank you so much for your cooperation."

As I heard the announcement from the pilot over the loudspeakers, so many thoughts were going on in my mind: When will we get there? How long does it take to clean up a burst tire? What happened to the other airplane? I sat there alongside my brother, waiting until the flight safely landed. As every announcement came through the air ducts, it would only bring more fear in myself. You could see the anxiety in my eyes; they panicked as if the world was about to end that second.  At the time, I hid my fear by laughing and joking about it. But, little did I know at that minute was that the few moments, were to become hours. Saturday, August 11 was sure to be engraved in my mind, not for the reason of it being memorable, but for the lessons that would present themselves in this what seemed to be a grim situation.

In life events occur for a reason, you might not know why then, but it will make sense in the future. From each chapter of our story, there is a lesson to be learned. Everything doesn’t come easy for us. When we do struggle, it’s our job to hope for the best. As I sat in that aircraft, there might’ve been bad thoughts in my mind, but there was that little piece of hope, that made me get through it. More than fright, there was faith. I sat there hoping we’d be alright, there was nothing else I could do. I believed that my family and I would be able to get out of this plane, and so what I thought came to life. Our hopes are just dreams, but ones that wake in front of us. No matter where you are, even in the darkest most times, hope is there to shine like a rising sun and lead our way into the next day.  

Hope was something everybody learns about, but to experience it is a whole other world. Nowadays nobody ever thinks about the “what if” factor. What if our plane were to crash right now? What if there wasn’t another safe place to land? What if I don’t come out of this plane? You might ask why I might’ve thought of these extremes, but the wait of the never landing flight isn’t the whole story. I sat there like a statue in a museum, when another announcement had come on. I was too busy worrying about what was going to happen, to pay attention to anything else. I asked my brother what the pilot had said. When the words, “The airplane is running out of fuel” came into my mind, my heart sank. One thing went inside my head, “This is not happening!” And so, I thought everything was over. We kept on circling around Milwaukee, when finally we had permission to land in Madison. The pilot had contact with the main grounds, for us to arrive there. It all turned out fine, but you never know what is coming your way. As a result, I learned that anything can happen, we always know everything’s going to be fine, but what if it’s not? That one question can change up the way you look at this world beyond us. What if?

We all think about the impossible, yet it’ll be possible in our minds, but have we ever thought about what true happiness is? From beginning to end, in this cycle we call life, everyone experiences so many emotions: happiness, love, fear, and much more. In this little incident I mainly encountered the thrill of fear. The exact opposite of fright is happiness, and that is something that I haven’t understood yet until this day. Happiness doesn’t last forever, sometimes it could be that one single moment of joy, on the other hand it could be for a whole day. But everyone is always happy about some event that has occurred in their life. For me it’s not a single event, but many. This memorable ride on an aircraft will be unforgettable, but it makes me happy that I’ve learned from it as well. If somebody asks me what is something you cannot forget from your childhood, it’s probably this flight. Feelings express themselves in a different way, through each person. And each person expresses their feelings in their own way. Though, true happiness doesn’t have a definition, to me happiness is a person, and a person is happiness.

Since that day on, I've recognized the importance of hope, the "what if" factor, and happiness in our lives. Learning about so many aspects towards living a great life will and has helped me. This never ending flight did come to an end, a safe, yet stressful one. We move forward in life, remembering our past and looking forward to the future. For me, an experience of a lifetime was made in a single day. The past is a work of art, free of irrelevancies, and loose ends. As I look back to that day I remember everything so vividly, from the beginning to the end, and everything in between. It shall never be forgotten, and in my book the chapter about the never landing flight will surely put a smile on my face everytime I look back.