Freedom. Land of the free, home of the brave. That's what our country, America, is renowned as. But I don't think so. For me, it's the universe inside of my head. Hundreds of characters, personalities, time periods, and settings sitting and brewing and waiting for their turn to tell their story. My imagination is my most precious trait, the most prized possession I own. It's mine, all mine. No one else knows these stories besides me. Writing novels and fan fiction and short stories is what I do in my free time. The words pour out of my fingertips like water, and I feel as if I can work on hundreds of different stories at a time. I am also a fan of poetry. I've been told by numerous teachers and friends that I should enter a poetry contest and that I should think about publishing my work. I've actively completed two novels which for each I spent about a month and a half on. Writing for me isn't just a hobby, it's a passion. I want to be able to share my stories with the world and let these characters in my head be free. I want not only my friends, but girls and people all across the world to be inspired by my books. Every single one of my stories is based on emotions, if not actual experiences. Sometimes it's not jsut the things we see on TV that inspire us, but the words on a page. It Ends With Us is a novel by Colleen Hoover that I found especially inspiring because it brings to light the topic of domestic abuse. It shows how at first, Ryle seemed like a charming guy, but then he turned out to be a damaged, and I won't say horrible, but a damaged person who hurt Lily. He talked her into forgiving him, and she experienced manipulation and the fear of leaving that situation. I feel as if domestic violence and other controversial topics aren't talked about enough. As a writer, I want to be that voice that speaks up when nobody else feels they can. I want to uplift young girls and women who came from a single parent household like me with a drug abusing father who have felt like they can't be anything. From the novel Daisy Jones & The Six, I am not the muse, I am the somebody. And when I continue to write in college, I will be that somebody to allow people to explore the worlds inside of my head, no matter how controversial or different they are from societies norms. The land of the free, and the home of the brave.

Mental health is important to me as a student because it can be really hard to get up and go to school when you're depressed or going through something that makes you anything but happy. When your grandpa is sick, the last thing you want to do is go sit in a classroom and solve mathematical equations. I know this because I've lived it. I have had a pretty rough start to my senior year. As I stated, my grandpa got really sick with Covid and was hospitalized, and had to start dialysis for his diabetes. I go take care of him after school most days. Also, my dog that was more like family than a pet, died. I was so depressed, I couldn't eat. Sitting in a classroom with everything that had just happened being fresh and new, doing homework just felt like an even larger weight on my shoulders. That being said, it is important to keep progressing forward. Taking a mental health day can be important, but when students get reliant on them, then they hold you back, and you become behind on your work. Taking care of your mental health is not staying and laying in bed all day, it is getting up, making yourself productive, and taking it easy. I advocate for mental health in my community by making it known that I am a safe person to talk to. I frequently ask my friends and peers how they're doing, especially the ones who are always smiling and laughing. I put up encouraging sticky notes in my school's bathrooms to maybe brighten up somebody's day. I know that when I'm feeling down, seeing a note that says "you got this" or "you're beautiful" makes me feel a lot better. In addition to this, on my social media, I follow numerous mental health advocating pages and repost their posts to spread awareness on numerous issues. I also find that when people repost quotes on their social media, it can often be inspiring and will sometimes influence me to approach a situation a certain way, so I like to do the same on my platform. Last fall, I went on a retreat called Natural Helpers, where a bunch of my classmates nominated me to go because they see me as a person who they can confide in. On this retreat, we talked a lot about mental health and how to help other people. We affirmed each other, talked through some personal issues, reflected on ourselves, and were even so fortunate to receive letters from our families to tell us how much they cared about us.

Mental health is something that I struggle to make a priority, but am learning more about and am trying to prioritize every day. I often feel as if I have to put my mental struggles on the back burner, since I have so many responsibilities that have to come first, such as school, family, and work. My grandpa is very sick. He has a weak immune system, diabetes, one kidney, and bad lungs. Over the summer, he contracted COVID-19 and was on the urge of death. It's scary to think if my grandma and I hadn't called my uncle to take him to the hospital, he would've died. Thank God, he is alive! But because of his bad health, Covid has done a number on him, and he needs extra care. I often go to my grandparents' house after school to not only spend time with them, but also help clean, cook, and attend to their needs. They make me happy when I'm there, but the labor takes its toll. Recently, I have just faced a severe loss. My childhood dog, who I cannot remember life without. Tessie and I were the same age, and she was more than just a pet to me. She was family. I couldn't eat for a week, and going to school felt almost robotic. My mother told me that I am the strongest person she knows for facing such hardships and being able to keep a smile on my face. The truth is, I don't know how to take time for myself. I only know how to keep pushing forward. From the children's movie, Finding Nemo, I resonate with the quote "Just keep swimming." And that's what I do. I just keep pushing forward. Sometimes when I feel a wave of depression or just simple sadness wash over me, I feel unmotivated to do school, but I do it anyway. I cannot let a temporary roadblock change my pathway for the future. Going to work and rushing to make food orders for people sometimes seems like the last thing I want to do when I am concerned about my grandparents, but I go. I never miss a day unless I absolutely cannot make it. Not to mention, I am the kind of person who feels better around other people. One of the steps I take to make my mental health a priority is knowing my limits. I am only one person, after all, and sometimes, it feels impossible to finish all of my work. In addition to this, Sunday is my one free day and a day I can spend with the people who lift me up the most, my family. During the day, I read, watch a movie, or do something relaxing that I love and requires little to no thinking. If I need to vent, I often release stress by writing stories/novels where the main character has similar issues to my own. In a way, it makes me feel seen. Above all, Sunday dinners with my mom, grandparents, and occasionally cousins, are the anecdote to lightening my life.