Learning the right lessons: A tale of good habits and choices

By Saumya Sakshi

Once upon a time, there lived a girl in a city named Mala. She lived with her parents and her grandmother. Mala and her grandmother were the best of friends. One day, Mala’s father received a transfer to another city, so they had to relocate. Mala had to start at a new school, where she soon made a new friend named Myra.

Mala and Myra quickly became best friends. While Mala spent her school days with Myra, she cherished the time spent with her grandmother at home. One day, after returning from school, Mala made a special request, “Granny, can you please make a burger today?” Her grandmother hesitated, “You don’t usually like burgers, do you?” Mala replied, “Granny, you don’t know how tasty they are! Myra brings them to school every day, and we share it.”

Her grandmother responded, “Burgers aren’t healthy, dear. They can lead to health issues and lack essential nutrients.” Mala insisted, “But I want a burger.” Reluctantly, her grandmother agreed to make one, but she made it clear it wouldn’t become a regular meal.

A month passed since Mala had started her new school. One day, she noticed her grandmother struggling to thread a needle. Mala offered to help and tried for ten minutes but still couldn’t manage it. Her grandmother was concerned, “Why are you having trouble with this? Are your eyes okay?”

They promptly visited an eye doctor who examined Mala and informed her and her grandmother that she needed to wear glasses. Mala’s grandmother inquired, “But how do you develop eyesight issues when you don’t use a mobile phone?” Unbeknownst to her grandmother, Mala had been watching movies on Myra’s mobile phone at school.

Later that day, Mala’s grandmother attended a school event where Myra sang a beautiful song and helped a fallen child. Observing Myra’s actions, Mala’s grandmother realised that Myra, like everyone else, had a mix of good and bad habits. She chose not to criticise Myra and returned home.

When Mala came back from school, her grandmother spoke with her, saying, “Mala, I visited your school today and observed your friend, Myra. She sang beautifully and helped a child in need. Myra has both good and bad habits, as everyone does. It’s up to you to choose what you learn from people—whether it’s their good habits or their bad habits.” Mala acknowledged, “Yes, Granny, I’ve been picking up bad habits from her when I should have been learning her good ones. Thank you, Granny!” She hugged her grandmother.

Moral of the story: We must choose to adopt only the good habits of those around us.