In the process of clearing out various documents on my computer and emails, in attempt to delay clearing out more tangible items in my room, I found a gem from my senior year of high school. The assignment was to write a piece entitled “In This I Believe.” I just read through it for the first time in four years. Though I know I have most definitely grown over the past four years, it’s good to know I’m still the same person and still find this to be very relevant. Anyway, I wanted to share. Enjoy!

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In This I Believe.

I believe that the simplest questions stir the deepest thoughts.

What is your favorite color?

Well, pink. It’s the color of cotton candy and cherry blossoms. It’s the color of my first room, the walls and the carpet covered in a velvety coat of baby pink. Even the name has a powdery smell and causes a sugary ache on your tongue. The sight of it makes me happy. But no, it’s too girly for me.

So blue: It’s the color of the ocean, the sky, my eyes. It’s cooling, calming, the color of relaxation. It represents a release of stress and chaos, two things which seem to rule my world all too often. But blue is also the color of sadness, of isolation. For a person who’s involved and active, blue’s not a fitting color at all.

Orange is creamsicles and goldfish, but also violence and anger. Yellow is buttercups and daisies, but reminds me of illness, fever. Green brings me back to nature. Irish countryside scattered with white spots of sheep. It’s my culture, my heritage… But does that define me? Purple is a color of royalty and the color of my room. The color of pink and blue mixed together: two colors separated in the hospital nursery in a desperate attempt to delay the unavoidable intertwining of opposites which become relevant all too soon. It’s innocence… lost.

So favorite color? No comment. Next question.

What do I believe?

I believe in love. That our hearts are made of many compartments which can choose to accept or deny love, but always contain the capacity to love.

I believe that beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder. That nothing is more beautiful than that which is pure and real.

I believe that courage is a necessary trait, which makes me prouder than ever as I see my grandmum live through the pain of losing her husband of 56 years. To love that deep and to lose that hard are two challenges I have yet to face. Her courage gives me strength to embrace all that I can before it is too late.

I believe that from some mistakes you can’t learn, which I apparently told my mom when I was only 4 years old. That your life affects more people than you realize, and the pain of death is found mainly with those you leave behind. Some feats aren’t worth the risk of leaving others with a burden.

I believe in the power of forgiveness, which can release built up pain and regret, replacing it with inner peace, in the span of a simple phrase. I believe in a God above, who watches over me and guides me to do what’s best.

I believe that music has the power to heal wounds that run deeper than any medication can reach.

Most of all, I believe that memories form the basis of our souls, and our relationships and experiences define who we are without constraining who we can become. With strength, I can go on to whatever my heart desires and never lose where I came from, keeping my life simple and my thoughts deep. In all this I believe.