Write to Win (Round 6): If you could give every person in the world a gift, what would it be?

“If I were to speak of love, this song would be my words.” Our lives on Mother Earth often appear to be filled with more pain than joy. When hurt, our feelings can seem lost in translation, and all human languages fall short. Even the most tender embraces or words of comfort can appear hollow. Those of us who experience this pain often feel small and powerless.

But music is entirely different. It transcends borders, prompting different responses from each of us. Music is free from the limitations of words or the constraints of reality. It strikes our soft human core, evoking pure, rich, and deeply sincere emotions. With a world of eight billion unique hearts, no two of us hear music the same way.

That is why a gift of headphones would be so important. With headphones, you would have the freedom to immerse yourself in the music and emotions. Nothing would bind you, not genre, ethnicity or others’ opinions – a solitary experience of being swallowed by sound, a universal ecstasy.

A gift of three apples. Apples may seem ordinary, appearing everywhere, from homes to markets. But this fruit can symbolise love; bright and colourful, it can send blessings and well wishes.

The first of the three gifted apples would represent innovation. A falling apple inspired the English physicist Isaac Newton’s theory of gravity. Apple, the global company behind state-of-the-art iPhones and Macs, had a logo that depicted Newton under his tree and now uses a silhouette of an apple with a bite taken out of it. Apples can unleash your creativity and empower you to innovate.

The second apple embodies love. How does it taste? Sweet and crispy. When you share one with your beloved, you show your appreciation and gratitude, sharing your happiness. Let’s feast!

How about the last one? In many cultures, apples symbolise good health and a thriving life. The beautiful colour signifies your flourishing and colourful future. It’s a joy to enjoy apples, which are tasty and nutritional, with a captivating reddish colour.

Write to Win (Round 5): If you could live anywhere for a day, where would it be, and why?

If I could give everyone a gift, it would be a large tub of petroleum jelly by Vaseline. As someone who struggles with dry and flaky skin, I understand how debilitating it is to have to go through daily life with parts of your skin coming off, having to constantly reapply creams, and dealing with the pain and cuts that come with having sensitive skin.

The skin is the body’s largest organ and one of its most vital. It acts as a barrier to foreign pathogens – such as bacteria, viruses and chemicals – and helps to regulate body temperature and reduce the harmful effects of UV radiation. Without a healthy, intact “first defence”, our body becomes increasingly susceptible to illnesses, ranging from common colds to skin cancer!

Dry skin is widespread and can affect anywhere from 41 per cent to 99 per cent of the global population, regardless of age, location or line of work. Petroleum jelly is safe for people of all ages, and there have been no recorded instances of an individual having a severe allergic reaction to the substance, making it a highly suitable gift for everyone.

I would gift everyone a sunflower seed since the flower symbolises positivity and hope. People could plant them in their backyard or keep them in pots. As they watch their sunflower grow taller and stronger every day, its slow but steady progress would hopefully encourage the plant owner to keep going, even on their miserable days. Looking at the bright, cheerful and flourishing sunflower would surely light up everyone’s day.

Taking care of plants requires waiting and taking responsibility. It’s a slow process, and plants need to be watered daily to grow. Owning a plant would improve a person’s tolerance and patience, making the world a better place!

Imagine you walk into a park and see every person picking up their trash instead of leaving it behind, polluting the park’s ecosystem. It would be a more pleasant environment to walk in and make cleaners’ lives easier. Lastly, if everyone plants their sunflower, the planted flower will help clean contaminated soil while producing more oxygen for us to breathe in!

Humans are an incredibly hard group to please. Perpetually exhausted from running the laborious race of life from the moment we step foot on this planet, we rarely take a moment to stop and reflect on what our hearts truly desire. Gold or diamonds, companionship or a warm hearty meal; one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.

Nevertheless, one thing brings us together, that quiet voice in the back of our minds that whispers our hopes, dreams and aspirations seconds before lights go out at bedtime. We all dream of grandeur, travelling the world or overcoming obstacles to achieve our goals. However, these aspirations often remain out of reach, stifled by doubt and fear. Rarely do our aspirations ever come to fruition because something always seems to be holding us back.

Therefore, if I could give every person in the world a present, I would gift them bravery – the courage to chase their dreams and make them their reality against all odds. I would give everyone the strength to believe in themselves and take a leap of faith to achieve what they have always sought.