Vulnerability, the thing that causes us to stop, or give up. Everyone is vulnerable, whether these vulnerabilities are about our looks or our smarts. Some of these vulnerabilities stem from our family, or our friends. Some people can’t say no, they force themselves to say yes, no matter what comes their way, if they've been told that no one likes them or ever will, so they say yes, to make others happy, to make themselves happy. People compare themselves to those popular girls with the short shorts, or the football boys with the muscles; however, true happiness, true beauty comes when people stop comparing themselves with others. You are beautiful, and if you can't see that about yourself, get a better mirror, look a little longer, stare a little harder. No matter what you get told in the halls or at home, you are beautiful.
When I was in fourth grade I made friend with a girl who had a birthmark that took up more than half of her face. On the first day of grade 5, someone taped a note to her desk that said “beware of dog”. We would get bombarded by an arsenal of names that got updated every year. We were running the halls that were battlegrounds to a war we couldn’t win. We would stay inside for recess because outside, outside was worse. In grade 8 she got raped and had a child, and got kicked out of school for something she couldn’t stop. The names grew harder and harder, her beauty was fading, but to this day she is still beautiful. To others the definition of beauty comes from looks, but for her the definition of beauty starts with the word “mom”.
Everyone no matter what has happened in your life, no matter what you see or get told, you are beautiful, even with shame, and fear, you are beautiful. My Grandmother used to tell me “ Non puoi scoprire nuovi oceani se non hai il coraggio di perdere di vista la riva.” Is an old Italian saying which means: you cannot discover new oceans unless you have the courage to lose sight of the shore. I truly don’t know what it means, I never have, but the words have stuck with me through all of my life, they have been burned into my brain like a kids song, or the national anthem, I will never forget it, for as long as I live. What I understood from the saying is you can't see the future until you forget the past, and I connect with that deeply. I know there are people who can move on, and that is my view on life, because it gives me hope that there might be more in life. Later on or even now, my grandmother gives me courage and hope. When I was younger in my time of need she would sing to me, and help me, save me, I do this for others now. For my friends or families or strangers in times of need, I always try to help and be there, try and give them HOPE.
When I was in fourth grade I made friend with a girl who had a birthmark that took up more than half of her face. On the first day of grade 5, someone taped a note to her desk that said “beware of dog”. We would get bombarded by an arsenal of names that got updated every year. We were running the halls that were battlegrounds to a war we couldn’t win. We would stay inside for recess because outside, outside was worse. In grade 8 she got raped and had a child, and got kicked out of school for something she couldn’t stop. The names grew harder and harder, her beauty was fading, but to this day she is still beautiful. To others the definition of beauty comes from looks, but for her the definition of beauty starts with the word “mom”.
Everyone no matter what has happened in your life, no matter what you see or get told, you are beautiful, even with shame, and fear, you are beautiful. My Grandmother used to tell me “ Non puoi scoprire nuovi oceani se non hai il coraggio di perdere di vista la riva.” Is an old Italian saying which means: you cannot discover new oceans unless you have the courage to lose sight of the shore. I truly don’t know what it means, I never have, but the words have stuck with me through all of my life, they have been burned into my brain like a kids song, or the national anthem, I will never forget it, for as long as I live. What I understood from the saying is you can't see the future until you forget the past, and I connect with that deeply. I know there are people who can move on, and that is my view on life, because it gives me hope that there might be more in life. Later on or even now, my grandmother gives me courage and hope. When I was younger in my time of need she would sing to me, and help me, save me, I do this for others now. For my friends or families or strangers in times of need, I always try to help and be there, try and give them HOPE.
-Brandon Stella
The song my Grandma sang to me- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUl6gf-6ol8
Courage and Hope video- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otFug78Sc5Y
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