Logo
SUNDAY, APRIL 19, 2026
Logo
Stories
All StoriesVideo StoriesAudio StoriesPhoto Stories
About us
Get Involved
Contact UsShare Your Story
Tag
Stories Faces Rular Life Nature

Make the Ordinary Come Alive

"Do not ask your children_x000D_ to strive for extraordinary lives._x000D_ Such striving may seem admirable,_x000D_ but it is a way of foolishness._x000D_ Help them instead to find the wonder_x000D_...

Published25 June 2014
Reading Time 1 mins
Author Stories of Nepal
Location Nepal
Make the Ordinary Come Alive

"Do not ask your children_x000D_ to strive for extraordinary lives._x000D_ Such striving may seem admirable,_x000D_ but it is a way of foolishness._x000D_ Help them instead to find the wonder_x000D_...

"Do not ask your children_x000D_ to strive for extraordinary lives._x000D_ Such striving may seem admirable,_x000D_ but it is a way of foolishness._x000D_ Help them instead to find the wonder_x000D_ and the marvel of an ordinary life._x000D_ Show them the joy of tasting_x000D_ tomatoes, apples, and pears._x000D_ Show them how to cry_x000D_ when pets and people die._x000D_ Show them the infinite pleasure_x000D_ in the touch of a hand._x000D_ And make the ordinary come alive for them._x000D_ The extraordinary will take care of itself."_x000D_ - A poem by William Martin_x000D_ Met her in Philim, Gorkha
Read Next

Similar Stories

View all in Nepal
I Feel Settled
Nepal

I Feel Settled

"Mother and father never showed me their tears. I knew they to sell a piece of land to buy gold and prepare the dowry money. I understood their fears. Many women who are married and go to their...

Nepal • 2 mins
All The Words I Know
Nepal

All The Words I Know

"I sell tea. But I also go to school. When I grow up and when I can read and write better, I am going to ask all the old and the young people here to gather and sit around me. Then I am going to give...

Nepal • 1 mins
What My Mother Taught Me
Nepal

What My Mother Taught Me

"I wanted to play with my girlfriends more than I wanted to go to school. I cannot blame my parents for not sending me to school. They did. When my father passed away I was 13 years old. I remember...

Nepal • 2 mins
Start a Dialogue
Nepal

Start a Dialogue

"The first question a lot of people ask me is if I know how to sing and dance. They attribute people with disabilities mostly with performance art. It is a stereotype used against people with...

Nepal • 3 mins
A Smart Daughter
Nepal

A Smart Daughter

"She is already very smart. Maybe a bit more than I am and that is what I want. A smart daughter. But the future seems difficult with all the competition. In the future, I want her to be happy. And...

Nepal • 1 mins

Join the Archival Journey

Receive weekly dispatches from the field—stories of resilience, tradition, and the changing landscape of Nepal delivered quietly to your inbox.

T