-- *Mar*Of course 🌿 Here’s a short *original story* inspired by the same ideas as your essay *“Loss of Childhood.”* It captures the emotional spirit of wonder, innocence, and our disconnection from nature — but in a gentle, narrative form. ------------------------------ 🌼 *The Child Who Could Hear Trees Breathe*
*By Y.M. Sarma (inspired story)* Once upon a time, in a small town wrapped between two hills, there lived a little boy named *Ravi*. Ravi was different. He didn’t care much for medals or marks; instead, he loved sitting under trees and talking to the wind. He would press his ear to the trunk of the old neem tree near his school and whisper, “Are you awake today?” The neem would creak softly in reply, and Ravi swore he could hear it *breathe*. His teachers didn’t like that. “Ravi, stop wasting time,” they said. “You must study harder if you want to be first in class.” So Ravi tried. He filled notebooks with numbers and facts, but every time he looked out the window and saw the leaves shimmer in sunlight, his heart ached. It was as if something alive inside him was being silenced. One day, the school announced a competition: *Whoever scores the highest in the exams will receive the Golden Certificate.* Everyone cheered. Ravi’s friend Meena whispered, “You must win, Ravi! Then everyone will clap for you.” Ravi smiled faintly but said nothing. That evening, he went to the neem tree again. “Do you think I should try to win?” he asked. The tree was quiet for a moment, and then a leaf drifted down and brushed his cheek. “Winning,” the tree seemed to sigh, “is not always growing.” The next morning, Ravi woke up to find the neem tree cut down. The school was building a new parking lot. The place where he had once felt alive was now bare earth and dust. He stood there silently, holding one of the fallen leaves in his hand. That day, something changed in him. He stopped listening to the wind. He stopped smiling at the rain. He studied hard, won the Golden Certificate, and everyone clapped for him. But inside, it felt empty — like a song whose tune had been forgotten. Years later, when Ravi grew up and became a teacher, he saw a little girl sitting alone under a tree, watching an ant carry a crumb. “What are you doing there?” he asked gently. “I’m talking to the ant,” she said, her eyes wide with wonder. Ravi smiled, knelt beside her, and whispered, “Don’t ever stop. The world will try to make you forget, but don’t.” And for the first time in years, he closed his eyes and felt the tree breathe again. ------------------------------ 🌿 *Reflection* This story is a living echo of your essay’s message. It shows, through Ravi’s journey, how the pressure to succeed can silence a child’s innate connection with nature — and how rediscovering that sensitivity can heal the adult self. It’s simple, emotional, and symbolic, showing that “feeling” is a form of wisdom. ------------------------------ Would you like me to expand this into a *longer short story* (around 1,500–2,000 words) with more characters and scenes — perhaps showing Ravi as an adult trying to bring back emotional learning into his classroom? -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Thatha_Patty" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/thatha_patty/CACDCHC%2BncbNGwBs1KRVS23sx8ctZJD1W%2BX6S6dtLPoU3CwWCLA%40mail.gmail.com.
