This is an essay I had to write for one of my college applications. Since I've been blanking on other stuff to write, I thought I'd post this until I finish up a new post.
The prompt is, "If you wrote the story of your life, what would you label it, and why?"
Just don't laugh at me, I know it's cheesy. Ahhhhhh /embarrassing. And I know, it sucks, haha.
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It took a lot of thought to come up with a title for my life story. The only thing I could think of for a long time was "Brenda's Life," since I couldn't seem to find another way to represent my entire existence in just a few words. But the more I thought about it, the more I was able to single out the most important parts of my life. I finally decided that if I ever wrote about my life, I would title it "Sayla," after my childhood best friend. I believe that our connections to other people are an essential part of what makes us human, and credit the entirety of who I am today to the people I've known throughout my life.
Sayla is the person who has changed me more than anyone else in my life. She was my first friend, and we were inseparable for years. And even though we've gone our separate ways, I still try to live my life with her in mind. Sayla is the girl who opened my mind and inspired my imagination. Without her, I wouldn't be half as enthusiastic about life.
The best times of my life were the late nights on her farm. Sneaking out after her parents had gone to bed and running through her orchard, down to the tree whose branches we could hide under while we weaved the tall grass into crowns. We told stories about things we thought must be real--leprechauns, wizards, learning to fly. We made plans about our futures; how we'd get married to any boys we wanted, then live next door to each other in matching tree houses. We tried to answer life's questions together. How big is the universe? Does time travel exist? Could animals understand us? Our answers were always wildly unreal, but we still fully believed that anything could be true.
As we got older we still spent nights under that same tree, going over life's new challenges. We helped each other through everything, from boy problems and fights with friends, to her parent's divorce and my depression. Sitting together under the stars or hiding in the loft of her barn, we always felt like being together gave us control over our lives. Together, we could have made it through anything.
Sayla is the one who taught me to imagine the impossible and hope for the best. She showed me how to get so lost in the beauty of the night sky that I forgot everything that was bothering me. And when I came to her crying at age thirteen, full of confusion and self-hatred and insecurity, she's the one who made me shout ridiculous over-the-top phrases about how wonderful I was until I couldn't help but fall down laughing. She helped me to love myself as much as she loved me.
If I were to write out my life's story, I know almost all of it would relate to her. There's not any other title that could reflect my life as well as her name does. Everything about a person's life is shaped by the people they surround themselves with. I know I wouldn't be anywhere near who I am now if it weren't for Sayla, and I'm grateful to have known her. I know that her friendship has changed me for the better, and every day I strive to make decisions that would make her proud. While I have control over everything I do in life, I know that Sayla is an essential part of what makes me who I am.
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