More Than Just a House

Essay Writing Competition 2026
Category: 8 - 11 years
- Merit -

"More Than Just A House" Essay by Eliana Adamjee from Pakistan

More Than Just A House

There are many places or monuments around the world that are special because they are famous, but the place that is most special to me is my grandmother’s house in Karachi.

My grandmother’s house has been there for many generations, and my mom grew up there as well! When I think about four generations of my family living there it makes me very curious and interested to know how different people lived there through different times. It is a large house with eight bedrooms and a gigantic garden which welcomes the whole family every Sunday. The walls of the house have many old photographs and I enjoy looking at them and especially the ones of my mom and aunts when they were young children.

My cousins and I play together in the luscious green grass under the shade of the massive, old trees which have been there even before my mom was born! There is one tree in particular which fascinates me the most, it is a huge banyan tree with strong and thick branches that look like giant arms reaching out to the sky. There are many different kinds of animals like squirrels, honeybees and many species of birds that have made it their home. Sometimes when I play under that tree, I listen to the birds chattering noisily and it seems like they are having a conversation with each other. There is another tree which is my favourite one. I go climbing on that tree just as my mom used to when she was my age. I wonder if she played the same games and I do now and if she ever got told off for climbing too high!

The garden is also full of little surprises. In the morning after spending the night with my grandmother, we take our breakfast and go outside in the fresh breeze and sit in the dewy grass and search for mushrooms that grow overnight. I like to imagine that groups of fairies fly freely there early in the morning before we wake up and have a tea party around the mushrooms.

Most of my favourite memories are created in my grandmother’s house. Every celebration like birthdays and Eid are spent together with delicious food and laughter. My grandmother decorates the whole house with lights and flowers from the garden for every occasion. Whenever we visit, the house feels full of life.

This house has already given my family so many memories and I hope we continue to make many more together!

Congratulations on your heartfelt essay about your grandmother's home! Thank you for sharing your special family memories and personal reflections! Well done, Eliana!

Eliana is 9 years old and attends Academia Civitas in Pakistan. English is home language.