Lauren M., Magsig Middle School
All It Takes
It was a Wednesday, the first week of 7th grade when students flooded into the small cafeteria. Desperately searching for my friends at our designated spot, I was shocked to find complete strangers chattering away. I gulped. New year, new schedule. Today, it seemed, I would be alone.
Where would I sit? Luckily, I recognized a few kids that I remotely knew. Relief coursed through me, realizing they would probably accept me at their table. Just then, I noticed someone out of the corner of my eye. Sitting alone.
Noise fading, my brain tuned out the raucous youth around me. Memories from previous years flowed through my head. That was me. Feeling left out. Right there, I knew I had to do something, questioning whether I had the courage. Still trying to find my place, I was outgoing around those I knew, but shy around people I didn’t. Approaching strangers doesn’t come naturally for me. I decided to risk muddling through the awkwardness of meeting someone new. My legs feeling as if they were made of jelly, I forced myself to walk up to her and ask, “Do you mind if I sit here?” Today, we’re best friends.
Mrs. Yeck’s formula of Being Good + Doing Good = Having Fun + Being Happy is true in many ways. I’ve learned that to live a happy life, you need to love yourself as well as others. Even when it''s hard, it’s important to see the good in everyone and everything. To be confident, sometimes you need to be stubborn with yourself. All it takes is a little love.
But how do you survive the negativity? Happiness isn’t much different than dandelions. They spread everywhere they’re able to. You can kill a few, but no amount of weed killer can destroy all of them. When you look out upon the little yellow blooms, you can see weeds that should be destroyed, or you can see simple wildflowers that are there just to make you smile. All it takes is a little joy.
I receive support from my faith, friends, and family to keep going. Through hope, I won’t ever give up. Sometimes, when I’m drowning in the depression and stress around me, it''s hard to smile through the sadness. My smile''s always there though. Because when my smile is returned, I suddenly feel amazing. All it takes is a little hope.
I chose this simple example to show that happiness doesn’t always come in life-changing experiences. Mother Teresa once said, “We shall never know all the good that a simple smile can do.” And she’s right. A simple, friendly smile can be the best medicine for loneliness and pain. I didn’t change the world. I wasn’t looking for a reward. Often, however, I get it anyway. Because when I make someone smile, it means the world to me. I’d be overjoyed if I could make just one person happy. Sometimes, all it takes is a little smile.
