Virtues Day: Forgiveness, gratitude, courtesy and determination.  By Teodor.

On Virtues Day we looked at the four virtues of: courtesy, determination, gratitude and forgiveness.  In this essay I am going to explain what these virtues mean and how they link to wisdom.  I will describe two famous people who showed these virtues – Nelson Mandela, the first black President of South Africa and David Constantine M.B.E, a man whose charity, ‘Motivation’, provides wheelchairs for the developing world.  Both men have changed the lives of people for the better.  Finally, I am going to explain how these virtues are important in my life.

Firstly, let me tell you about the virtues we studied – what they are and what they mean.  The first virtue is forgiveness. When someone hurts you, you might feel angry and upset.  If you forgive, you feel better. This stops people fighting and making the situation worse.  For example, when Nelson Mandela was released from prison, he forgave the guards and the people who had treated him badly.  He wanted South Africa to be a peaceful place for all South Africans.

The second virtue is gratitude.  Gratitude is when you are thankful for what you have, or for something that someone did for you.  Gratitude is important because it makes people feel better and helps spread happiness to the world.

The third virtue is courtesy; Courtesy means showing good manners and being courteous to other people. Courtesy is important because when you are courteous to other people, they will be courteous to you – courtesy spreads peace to the world.

The last virtue is determination. Determination is when you focus on a goal and don’t give up. Determination is important because if you never give up, you can make your dreams come true and go far in life.

David Constantine is a great example of a role model who showed gratitude. He broke his spinal cord, (at the age of 18) in a diving accident in Australia.  But he did not feel bad for himself. In fact, he was grateful for his wheelchair and for his life.  The wheelchair gave him independence.  He created a wheelchair charity – ‘Motivation’ – so that he could provide wheelchairs for people living in developing countries.  His gratitude made the world a better place.

Nelson Mandela is a man who is known for his virtuous behaviour. He had the strength and the power to forgive the guard and the people who put him in prison. Then he showed determination, by never giving up to give South Africans freedom. He also was determined to stop apartheid – the separation of white people and black people. The next virtue he showed was gratitude. Nelson Mandela was grateful for his life and freedom for South Africans. The last virtue he showed was courtesy. Nelson Mandela was courteous to other people so that is why people like and respect him.

I would now like to explain how these virtues are important in my own life. The first virtue is forgiveness. Forgiveness is important to me because if you forgive someone who annoyed or harmed you, you will stop a big fight from happening.  If you hit the person who annoyed you, they could punch you back.  They might even get their friends and family, so that would become a big fight. Without forgiveness where would this end?

every day t, I try my best to show gratitude to the people around me who provide what I need to live a good life. I am grateful to my parents for looking after me at home and making sure I have a place to live and food to eat. I am grateful to my teachers for teaching me how to read, write and do maths and I am grateful to my friends for making every day fun and exciting. To show my gratitude I try to be courteous, kind and friendly to people by greeting them with a ‘hello’ and saying ‘please’ and ‘thank you’. Although it is only a small gesture, it makes a big difference to people’s days.

Finally, I make sure I show determination whenever I can. I do not give up and I keep trying to make sure I make the most of every day.

What is gratitude?  By Amira.

I think gratitude is when you are thankful.  If you want to run a company, you need to show gratitude.  I am thankful for my friends, my family, my school and for having a roof over my head.  Gratitude is like music – if you are thankful, the music is on.  But if you are ungrateful, the music is off.

Virtues Day by Ayaan

On Virtues Day, we learnt about four virtues and why they are important: gratitude, determination, forgiveness and courtesy. In This essay I will discuss why these virtues are important.  I will explain how two people, Nelson Mandela showed these virtues, and how and David Constantine m. M.B.E. has shown them throughout his life.

First, let me tell you about what the virtues are and why they are important. The first virtue is forgiveness.  Forgiveness is to stop feeling angry with someone who has harmed you or made fun of you.  It is important to forgive – if you never forgive, you will be angry forever.

The second virtue is courtesy. Courtesy means saying thank you and having good manners.  It is important to be courteous to other people, so that they can be courteous by learning from you.

The third virtue is determination. Determination means never giving up – even if something is difficult.  Determination is important.  If you are determined, you can do better in life and better at exams. You could easily give up, but if you show determination, everything will be easier.

The fourth virtue is gratitude. Gratitude means being grateful for what you have. This is important because if you are grateful, people will be grateful as well. Some people don’t have what you have.

Nelson Mandela was the first black President of South Africa.  He was imprisoned for 18 years because he did not believe in apartheid. Nelson Mandela always forgave others.  he even invited the guards who had locked him up in jail to his inauguration. He showed forgiveness and determination.  He was determined to end the racism of apartheid.

David Constantine is a man who broke his spine at the age 18 and was paralysed. Most people who end up in a wheelchair might be upset.  But David Constantine thought about the 80 million people around the world who need wheelchairs.  He showed determination, courage, empathy, gratitude and courtesy to lead a good life.  He has made a difference to others.