The value of life

by Ursula Cross

(30 January 2021)  In a writing competition on the topic of "Generations", the text below won 1st prize in the "Children's" category. The text by the 11-year-old boy truly warms the heart. A welcome treat in these unpredictable and, for many, very stressful times.

Human relationships are and remain paramount to our well-being, no matter what age. Children in particular are dependent on true human relationships for learning and developing empathy. But older people also suffer from the lack of human encounters.

The text below radiates the value of human relationship at every age. A deserved winner.

Old and forgetful

Each month I visited my great-grandmother. She is 83 years old, but still has some hair and wears glasses. She just enjoys to have some fun. We had a strawberry cake and lots of cream. I think she always has the best cakes. We played cards and told each other some jokes. My great-grandmother loves laughing. In a while she went to a drawer where she keeps her valuables, pulled out a ten franc note and said: “This is for your piggy bank because you are such a good great-grandchild.” When she returned from the bathroom, she shuffled to the drawer with the valuables once more and retrieved another ten franc note. She repeated: “This is for your piggy bank, because you are such a good great-grandchild.” I began to chuckle and said to her: “But great-grandma, you gave me ten francs just five minutes ago.” We began to laugh, louder and louder. Finally my great-grandmother recovered:” I only wanted to know whether you are an honest great-grandchild”, gasped my great-grandmother. “Excuses, excuses”, I quipped, and then we kept on laughing together.

Thomas Auer, grade 5