I'm 17 years old now but when I was 12 or 13 I used to volunteer with my mom at an organization called CareCuts in Salt Lake City. The homeless population is continually growing there and help is almost impossible to find for those who are struggling. To most people who live there, homeless people are just a part of living in a large city. They see them as a nuisance more than people who need help. I thought that way too until my mom brought me to my first service event. At the events, we would cut peoples' hair, paint their nails, feed them, play games, and just keep them company for a little while. I very quickly learned that they were just normal people like me who were trying to get back on their feet. The most impactful thing I learned at those events though was how blessed I am to live the life I live. I was at my fourth or fifth event when I saw a bouncy castle that we had rented out. There was a long line of kids waiting to get inside, practically shaking with excitement. I stopped and watched them for a while, some were as young as three years old while others were almost 17. A strange feeling had bubbled up inside of me. I realized that my experiences were not the same as everyone else's. I had a home with a mother who took perfect care of me. I could go inside when it was cold or raining and she'd make me a hot meal. I had a comfortable bed to sleep in that I didn't have to share with anybody if I didn't want to. The children I was watching didn't have that though. They weren't there because it was fun, they were there because it was one of the only places where they could eat until they were full and get the toiletries or school supplies they needed. I almost cried as I looked at a group of teenagers with huge smiles and new haircuts. To me, a haircut was boring and itchy, but to them, it was a way to regain their dignity and feel human again. After that experience, I see the world differently. We are all just human beings who persevere, struggle, laugh, cry, and so much more. We live such different lives and can never fully understand what our peers are going through. I've made it my goal in life to try though. I want to be compassionate and kind, even to those who hurt me. I want to serve others and practice forgiveness. I want to leave the world a better place than how I found it.