This I Believe--BrieAnn

“Family”

            If there is one thing that I believe to be true it is that family should be the most important aspect in your life, aside from religious beliefs.

I have found that a family person has always seemed to be happier with life, or maybe they just seemed to enjoy it a little more. Your family will always be there to support you and have your back when nobody else does. If everyone held their families close to them and every family was close, then I feel like people would be happier with their life. Sure there would probably still be “family drama” and such, but it probably would not be as bad as if families were not close.

Your family should be the people that you can always count on and call up anytime you are in need. To me family is not always who you are “blood kin” to either, family can mean many different things; I consider my really close and true friends to be apart of my family.

The older I get the more I realize that family really is forever. The worse this world gets the more I begin to tell myself that you should hold your loved ones close, even closer than ever before. The love that your family has for you, is a love that you can not get from anyone nor any other thing in this world; it is one of a kind.

When my grandparents were growing up the world was a whole different place, which of course it was right? Because things are always changing and nothing stays the same. My grandparents talk about their family and how it was growing up, and I just think “man I wish I had that, I wish things were how they use to be.” Of course I am close to my “immediate family” as we call it, but half of my family I barely even know if I know them at all which to me, is sad.

I just believe that newer generations should make a difference, change the way things have become, make sure your kids know their family, make sure it is close. At least try your best to.

This I Believe--KJ

      In my 18 years of experience in life, I’ve come to realize that it’s all in the music. Now I know, that probably doesn’t make sense right now, but it will in the end. Every step you take makes a sound, and those steps take you on a journey. Your steps are in rhythm, just like the beat of a drum. The ambiance of your breath, the reverb of your voice, all come together to make the song of life. Not just life in general, but your life, one that will never be duplicated, it’s as if you have your own personal copyrights.

            Just like your every step makes a sound, your every decision sends out a sound wave into the universe. Just like your voice echoes off into the distance, causing the action of hearing to happen within another’s ears, the same thing happens with the choices we make in life. There is always somebody who looks up to you and watches your every mood. May it be a younger cousin, baby brother, or sister, or maybe just a kid in your community? They see the things you do and try to imitate. Therefore if all you do is send off waves of negative behavior, that’s what they will pick up. Some of us just don’t know how influential we are.

            If you were a rapper, or a singer, would you spend all of your time trying to promote a song that was terrible, or one that could be one of the world’s greatest hits? You see, I actually do music, and I’ve come to realize that it’s not always about who you are and what you do, but about the sound or quality of the music. This holds to be true in life. You may not come from a 2 parent home, had the best grades in school, or have been the most popular, but you can still turn out to be someone. Some of the world’s greatest music have been stories of struggle, and so have some of the world’s greatest people.

            So no matter who you are, no matter where you come from, if you let God pattern your steps to a steady rhythm, let the ambiance of your breath, and the reverb of your voice come together in perfect harmony. You can compose one of the greatest songs of all time.

This I Believe--BriAnna

Second Chances Are Just As Important As the First Ones

I believe that second chances are just as important as the first ones. For as long as I can remember, I have had a soft heart for other people and their mistakes. Forgiveness is something that has always come natural for me, and while others may see it as a weakness, I believe that my own second chances have only made me a stronger, better person. So why not give others the same opportunities?

Mistakes are part of being human and sometimes I think we need to be reminded that we are all human, no one above another. Somethings take longer to forgive, and some second chances take longer to earn, but everyone deserves a second chance. While we all differ in various ways, one need we all have is the need for forgiveness. There’s not one person who can say they’ve never needed a second chance at something, a chance to be better or a chance to fix something broken. People are dishonest, self- centered, and at times maybe even cruel, but we are supposed to love them anyways.

Forgiveness means experience, moving forward, and love. I believe that second chances are the answer for many of everyone’s problems. We’re all so stuck to holding on to hurt and bitterness that we ourselves start to need the forgiveness just as much as the person who’s done wrong to us. Forgiveness is not “condoning” or “excusing” the mistakes someone has made, it is acknowledging that someone else has hurt you, or done wrong and choosing to do right by them instead of creating a pattern of hurt.   Second chances make better people, and I believe that second chances are just are important as the first ones. 

Fall 2015

The fall semester is coming to an end, and once again, I've had the opportunity to work with a great group of Honors students.  Throughout the semester, the students in Honors Seminar have been reading essays from This I Believe.  One of their final assignments was to write their own essay about what they believe about life.  I'll share those as they submit them!