We sat huddled around the silver television with anxious faces and tightly gripped hands. My father would not peel his eyes off the TV as he sat in an alert position of the white sofa. My mother, beside him, sat in the same way as she nervously fingered her dress. My younger brother and I sat near them on the floor watching the TV as a big ‘BREAKING NEWS’ sign flashed on the screen.


India has been attacked by terrorists.


No thoughts swam into my head. I was numb. My surroundings around me did not matter. I watched as the terrorists shot innocent people and threw grenades at the civilians. I heard about the hostages stuck in the luxury hotels: Taj Mahal and Oberoi. My eyes pained from seeing the images. My ears rang from hearing gunshots. All in all, I was hurt.


I always believed that man-kind was the kindest well-developed species. But now, as I see the big ‘TERROR IN INDIA’ sign on TV, I do not believe that. I am sick of man-kind. I am sick of all the racist, sexist comments that humans utter. I am sick of all the unjustifiable acts that humans commit upon others. I am human and I am still sick of humans. Sometimes, I wish I was a dog. That way, no other dog hates me and I do not hate any other dog. But for now, I am a human and must face the reality that humans are dying.

As I watch the death toll peak up to 150, I am reminded of 9/11. During both crises, innocent lives were lost as terrorists tried to prove a point. Why can we not just talk about it? Why do we have to kill to make a change? Talking can change an issue, right? I think over and over again.


I look at the TV again. The death toll keeps rising. My family does not have friends and relatives in Mumbai but we could not help feeling the bond between the dying strangers and us. We are thousands of miles apart from them, but we could not stop worrying about them. I glance up to my parents, who were still watching the TV, intently. I looked down to my brother. He did not completely understand the problem, but still seemed worried about the growing death toll. My own ten-year-old brother understands the wrongness of killing people, why don’t the terrorists.


I guess this is just another blow on humanity. When will it ever stop? Like 9/11 and now, humans are put to the test. When will we ever pass? My mother always tells me, “Together we stand tall, divided we fall apart”. I guess she is right; we should always stand together and fight against those who wish to break us down.


It’s Thanksgiving. Now I really understand the meaning of this holiday. It’s not about food and absence of school, it about giving thanks for the friends, family, home, security and life that you have. I am thankful for the life I have. Maybe I don’t have all the things I want, but at least I am not stuck in a hotel with terrorists under me. I am also thankful for the kind people in the world who are willing to join hands to fight against the blows on humanity.