Spirituality & Practice

By Satya Shaw for Kidspirit's Fear and Anxiety Issue.

I’m an 11-year-old boy growing up in Brooklyn, New York, and although my mom and dad have given me many ways to handle fear and anxiety, I’ve naturally come up with some of my own.

My mom is a progressive Hindu and a women’s rights activist. She helps women and girls in Afghanistan go from harsh environments to ones where they can thrive. It is important to her that I know about my Indian heritage, and she teaches me a lot about Hinduism.

What I have learned from my mom is . . .

by Ateya Stepanovich for Kidspirit's Society and the Individual Issue.

It is a story as old as the world, or maybe even older. A battle from times we don’t even remember, a battle between gods that turned into a war between their pilgrims.

The center of almost every war and every battle are love and hatred, the most powerful feelings. There is one more element that causes war: religion! The conflict is always the same: who is the only God? We try to impose one religion everywhere.

Everyone decides alone what to believe in and which path to travel.

by Celie Johnson for Kidspirit's Numbers & Symbols Issue.

The world is irrelevant. All focus is on one thing: the present; every aspect and every physical thing, feeling, or emotion that creates every second, of every hour, of every day.

In this particular moment, I am on my boat Totoro, named after my favorite childhood movie. The name brings back memories of the dozens of times my sisters and I watched the animated film, cuddled in knit afghans, embraced in yawns created by being up past 10 pm.

Totoro is the embodiment of my childhood; . . .

By Maya and Sofia Mesh for KidSpirit's Human Dignity issue.

No matter where I go
There have always been people with teachings,
Insisting that they know
The true struggle behind their preachings.

What a shame it all is . . .

By Ameena Naqvi for KidSpirit's Creation and Destruction issue.

The universe is comprised of the two fundamental ideas of creation and destruction. They are the essence of all societies, and while many think they are polar opposites and completely detached from each other, I strongly believe that they can be seen as two sides of the same coin.

In truth, every creation is preceded by a state of destruction, and every destruction is preceded by some order of creation. Cultural shifts throughout the world clearly show that during periods of oppression and destruction within societies, ingenuity and creation begin to emerge and eventually provide a richer, more prosperous culture.

My own South Asian community is a prominent example . . .

By Junyor Florentín for KidSpirit's The Adventurous Spirit Edition

My name is Junyor Nicolás Florentín García. I am 17 years old, and I am from Coronel Oviedo, Paraguay.

Coronel Oviedo has become a big city and a nice place to live, but, similar to other cities in my country, it is still very traditional and religious. Most people are not open-minded at all, which is why almost everyone thinks that the new is bad and that it is better to stick with the usual routine and our comfort zones.

Why risk exploring or wanting to know the unknown? . . .

By Nimai Agarwal for KidSpirit's Human Dignity issue.

Short.

It's often the first thing that comes to mind when people see me. At five feet four inches tall, I'm far below the average height of American men.

I used to get uncomfortable in middle school when my friends stood side by side and compared heights. I faced their jokes about my height with resentment. Visits to the doctor left me with a sense of impending doom. Why was I so freakish? Would people ever take me seriously?

I tried to shove away the idea that I would always be short. . . .

By Ryeaan Chaudry for KidSpirit's Reality and Perception Issue.

When human beings are born, they are essentially blank templates. By the time they reach the age of maturity, how they view the world is already well formed, be it through exposure to their religion or culture, or instilled by their family.

We cannot separate ourselves from our culture; it is an inherent part of us, and forms our identity in this complex world we live in today. We see facets of our culture express themselves intrinsically in our daily interactions, and in our lives as a whole. Culture is the underpinning of most aspects of character and expression; accents, colloquialisms, even the way one eats and walks are all aspects of culture. No matter how much I adore pasta alla norma and other Italian cuisine, my comfort food will forever be a bowl of daal (lentils) and rice.

When I view the world, I can’t remove my cultural frame of reference . . .

By Andrew Unthank for KidSpirit's The Adventurous Spirit issue.

The Bible and its message have been in my life as long as I can remember.

I have had the privilege of growing up in a Christian home. Being a true follower of Christ is not just a part of who I am but rather defines who I am. It is prominent and hopefully evident in my behavior, my convictions, and my decisions. I believe the Bible completely, and because of this, the Bible and its teachings play a role in every aspect of my life. In every situation I strive to fulfill my obligation as a born-again follower of Jesus Christ, which is to be a light and spread the message of love to everyone I encounter in all situations. The Bible and the wisdom it provides guide me when an opportunity for adventure arises, when I decide whether or not to try new things and explore the unknowns of life.

When most people are blessed enough to have the opportunity to experience a new adventure, . . .

By Meenu Ravi for the KidSpirit Exploring Humor Issue

Laughter is the world’s most common language. I can’t imagine life without laughter. It’s like cake without the yummy frosting.

I think of humor as a sister to love, because when someone is laughing, it seems they beam. When I’m laughing, the air smells sweeter to me, the colors around me are more vivid, nothing else seems to matter much at that moment.

We’re given the power of laughter, not only to laugh AT things, but to laugh things OFF. . . .