March 2, 2004 > United We Stand

by Arathi Satish

"United We Stand, Divided We Fall!" I often heard these words when studying in school as a child. Years have passed and I am now in a different country. The words are more and more meaningful as the years pass. I remembered these words again when my daughter and her friend started getting ready for the Twin/Triplet Day contest at John Gomes School last week. Now 4th graders, they have participated in this contest from the time they were in Kindergarten. They won only once, but that has never stopped them from trying every year. They are as unlike as possible; in looks, origins, they speak different languages at home and eat different kinds of food. Yet they persist in dressing up in the same way, year after year, to take part in the contest.

Friendship has been the motivation. They are not biological twins, but they are twins in friendship. As I, along with other parents, watched the contest, many boys and girls were dressed as twins and triplets yet none of them looked like twins. But all of them were happy and playing with each other. I realized that this event is extremely significant, though the children were unaware of its depth. Maybe, unknowingly they were bonding with their friends in a way they had not done before. "Friendship" and "Trust" are small words with colossal impact. How nice it is to see the barriers of ignorance and intolerance wiped away by strong relationships. How much better the world would be if all of us were twins and triplets! It's just a thought since...United We Stand.