As a writer, I try to challenge myself. Just one more sentence, I tell myself when writing seems a lost cause. Just one more word, I whisper as I scribble down plot ideas. Though pushing myself out of my comfort zone is hard, writing every day- even when it is hard- has pushed me to grow much more than I could have imagined. Often, my greatest ideas come from these jaunts into my imagination. It has forced me to become more creative, more daring- and more passionate- about writing. I try to write a little something new every day, whether I jot down a dream I had the last night or a historical fiction novella begging me to write it. I branch out with my creativity. If one day I wrote a random chapter in a fantasy novel, the next day's writing might be on someone I admire and why. Being a perfectionist, I struggle a bit with poetry, but I force myself to write it too, occasionally. Sometimes just turning my font color to white and not letting myself scrutinize every word allows my best ideas to flow more naturally than I could have ever imagined. If anything, I try to give my stories a meaning. Interpretations that went beyond the surface level always intrigued me, but I did not truly learn about this literary power until I read The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry. I was never familiar with many short stories until my ninth grade English teacher introduced The Gift of the Magi. I remember squinting at my computer screen in surprise at how much I was enjoying it. Short story though it was, it conveyed more powerful emotions in its eighteen pages, words that somehow felt more generously written than many thousand page novels. The story revolves around a young couple, Della and Jim, around Christmas time. The couple is rather poor and each realizes that they must find each other a nice Christmas gift without spending much money. After days and days of searching, Della finally sells her hair- her most prized possession- to have enough money for Jim's present- a platinum chain to go with his pocketwatch (Jim's most prized possession, a family heirloom). On Christmas, Jim reveals his present for Della- a nice comb for her hair- bought with the money he earned from selling his pocket watch. The irony of the story is that neither can use the gifts they received because they gave up what the gift went with. In the end, Jim and Della realize how much they are willing to give up for each other. Ultimately, this is the best Christmas present either of them could have been given. I think that everyone should read this short story because of its simple but powerful message. The tale of love and sacrifice applies to everyone in the world in how they can treat others. Often, we get caught up in our own wants and dreams, forgetting to help others with what we already have. Della and Jim's example shows that even if our sacrifices for others might be hard, they are worth it to make the world a kinder place.

Sunlight streamed through the dusty windows of my fifth-grade classroom, forcing me to squint at the book in my hand. It was called 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘞𝘪𝘵𝘤𝘩, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘞𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘳𝘰𝘣𝘦 by C.S. Lewis. According to my teacher, it was a classic- a book worth reading. I was instantly intrigued by the colorful cover and my fascination only grew once I read the book. I could not put it down. It was the kind of book you could read in the car at night, catching a glimpse of a few words under each streetlight. It was the kind of book that took you on an adventure, from the frosty Narnia forest to the coziness of Mr. Tumnus's home. The book taught me themes of love, sacrifice, and hope- a message that everyone should know. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘞𝘪𝘵𝘤𝘩, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘞𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘳𝘰𝘣𝘦 is a book that everyone in the world should read. So often in our world, all we see is the darkness. Stories of ceaseless war, famine, and sickness are some of the very real problems that affect our world today. Yet in 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘞𝘪𝘵𝘤𝘩, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘞𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘳𝘰𝘣𝘦, we can find hope: a bit of an escape from these problems- and a way to conquer them. And this hope is valuable for anyone, no matter where they live in the world. The triumph of good over evil, even when it looks impossible, is a message capable of giving hope to all, even in the darkest of times. The portrayal of the sacrifice of Aslan alongside his love for Narnia, the prevailing of good over evil, and the message of forgiveness even of the worst mistakes makes 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘞𝘪𝘵𝘤𝘩, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘞𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘳𝘰𝘣𝘦 one of the most influential books of the twentieth century- and perhaps of all time. The simple complexity of the story's message of forgiveness appeals to both the youngest of children and the wisest of elders. Though Edmund, one of the four siblings in the novel betrays his siblings, they show him love and forgiveness, something we can all marvel at. Taking these messages and incorporating them into our own lives would change the way the world treats each other. If everyone in the world had read this novel, perhaps world peace would not seem such an unattainable goal. Instead, we could work out our problems together, to the benefit of everyone.

@kayla21r

The warm summer breeze ruffled my hair as I turned over the book in my hand. I was instantly attracted to the blue fabric cover, despite its fading hue. It was called Little Women by an author named Louisa May Alcott. At the time, most of my bookshelf consisted of fantasy stories. A temporary means of escape from an otherwise mundane world. That was the meaning of a book to me until I read Little Women. It was a classic, according to my mother, who had found me an abridged children’s version of the novel. Reading was a huge part of my childhood, so I thought nothing of it when I picked up this book. One might even dare to call me a bookworm. Yet this book changed everything. I finished it in a day. I laughed at all the funny parts, and cried over the family’s losses. Never had characters felt so real to me, so similar. Having no siblings of my own, the March sisters became my sisters, in a sense. I found parts of myself in each: I loved reading and writing like Jo, I was practical yet romantic like Meg, I was quiet and loved animals and music like Beth, and I craved success like Amy. Seeing myself reflected in these characters changed the way I viewed literature as a whole. For the first time, I saw books as an inspiration, with values we can learn from and take into our own lives. Reading Little Women launched my deeper understanding of books. I learned to search for life lessons hidden between paper and ink. When I read Lord of the Rings, I learned the value of loyalty. Harry Potter taught me the power of love and sacrifice. Pride and Prejudice convinced me to always give others the benefit of the doubt. Whenever I had a rough day, I buried myself in a book, able to forget my troubles and spend time with characters who made me feel a little less alone. Soon, I discovered how to take traits I admired of certain characters and incorporate them into my own life. When I first began to love reading, I was a shy seven-year-old who rarely branched out of her comfort zone. But as time progressed, bold main characters encouraged me to try new things, such as Student Council in elementary school, which I ended up loving and participating in for five years. Books also gave me a way of seeing the world outside what I knew. Through literature, I was (and still am) exposed to diverse character backgrounds from various time periods. This gives me the insight to question characters’ views and learn why someone’s background shapes their understanding of the world, which translates to me being better equipped to listen to the viewpoints of others, even if they vary from my own. Books continue to influence my life. They show me the power of the written word, which has encouraged me to choose English Language and Literature as my college major. They have taught me the importance of loyalty, kindness, and gratitude, as well as broadened my perspective of the world. The universal theme of love is prevalent in literature, and through books, I have learned to better love those around me. The values I learned through books will carry me through both easy and difficult times in life, and through them, I know I am not alone.

The dream version of my future self is confident, humble, and honest; through college, I hope to learn life skills that will prepare me for more than just a career but for life itself.