"In Light of" Ponderings

In light of World Kindness Day just passing and Thanksgiving coming up, I wanted to take a moment to write about why it's important to be kind, and talk about what I'm thankful for.

In high school there is a lot of pressure. In life there is a lot of pressure. In some way, big or small, we all suffer from anxiety. We are all imperfect and make mistakes. We all have flaws, some that we can control, and some that we can't. We all have obstacles to overcome. We all have challenges that we have to face. We all sometimes have to deal with loss or disappointment. The point is, life is HARD. Especially as a teenager when the whole pressure of what our future will be like and all the decisions that come with figuring that out, are weighing down on us. That is why it is important to be kind to each other.

We live in such a fragile, broken, messed up world, so the least we can do is keep kindness abundant in it. Everyone is capable of being kind, and it can have a much bigger impact than you might think or expect. Even just a smile can make someone's day. A compliment can reaffirm someone's self worth and make them feel confident. A helping hand can inspire someone to help someone else.

I remember in elementary school in my fourth grade class we had this jar that people could put compliments in, and the teacher would read them every Friday, and pass them out to their rightful owners. I always got ones that said "I love that Brenna always brings a smile to school every day" (in fact I still have that one and just came across it today) and ones that said "Brenna always lets everyone play." Those were the two most common ones I got. Still to this day, people tell me that I smile a lot, and I can't help it. I am usually happy at school because I love talking to my friends in all my classes, and I love participating in class discussions (in case you haven't noticed by now, I do love to talk when I'm comfortable and know what I'm going to say). Literally talk-show host Kelly Clarkson is my alter ego.

Anyway, I never knew until my fourth grade class made it known to me, that my smile made that much of a difference, but apparently it was a bight spot in a lot of my classmates' days. Now that I've had orthodontic work done to me teeth, my smile must be blinding (just kidding). But this proves that the smallest of things can really impact people and make them feel special, loved, or important. I challenge everyone reading this to try to be a little bit kinder. Don't ignore the person that drops something in the hallway on Monday, pick it up for them. Don't post a mean, sarcastic comment on your social media, instead tag your friend and tell them how thankful you are for them. There are a myriad of small, easy ways to be kind, so no more excuses! Be kind.

Putting World Kindness Day aside for a moment (but not kindness itself), Thanksgiving is coming up. I love Thanksgiving for the food, but I also love Thanksgiving because I love telling people how much they mean to me and how thankful I am for them! Last year I made two Thanksgiving cards for two of my past teachers and it was so much fun to do! This year I don't know if I will make cards or have a project but, I'm thankful for these blogs honestly! I love that they give us a creative outlet in AP English! They are so much fun to write in your authentic voice using your own creativity! I also love that we all get to connect through the comments and hear each other's different perspectives. I am really thankful that overall so far, this year has been much better than last year, because unlike Daisy, Tom, and Braddock Washington think, it doesn't matter how much money or how many diamonds you have. I don't care about that for myself either. I'm rich because I go to an amazing school where I get a great education, I have amazing friends and family, I have a house, I have a dog, and I have all the necessities of life. Now that is something to be truly thankful for! Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!

Be kind. Be thankful. It's the right state of mind. - Brenna (cheesy I know, but I like cheese - and mediocre rhymes)

"If I were a superhero, I would want my superpowers to be cloning and teleportation so that I could be everywhere at the same time and help everyone." - Brenna (I literally said this to my mom as I was sitting on the couch writing this blog post, because it's true - I LOVE helping people!) You can ask my mom, I say that all the time, and I truly mean it! I try to help as many people as I can because it's FUN TO BE KIND!!