What Beauty and Free Will Means to Me

By Nathaly Napoles, 9th Grade

Dear Flower, I see you every day. I witness your gentle aroma. I am fascinated by your fearless nature, for you don’t hide like I do. Every day you stand proudly as people walk by, and you’re beautiful no matter what they might say. I see you standing firm and tall the next day. I wonder if you ever know how much hope you inspire me every day I am afraid that’s the word I like to say. No one knows how hard it is to stay firm and tall every day, but you do it anyway. You are a sign of hope to me today, a sign that this world is not lost but just trapped behind all the hate and violence. I witness this too, but unlike me, you don’t let this stop you. Every morning you show your beauty to the world. You will die one day, but you live your life making someone else’s happy by being around and never withering away. You can rest peacefully, my friend. Your lesson I have learned and my beauty I will share. By writing this, I open myself to a feeling I have yet to face, the feeling of freedom, and embrace what makes me feel like my voice won’t wither away. Thank you, dear flower, for you have made me open a part of me hidden from the world. My spirit will be free to speak my words of peace and what beauty means to me. It’s not your appearance that spoke to me, but your strength to stand tall every day even when this world grows darker and darker; you still shinned your light of faith to me. My beauty is not how I look or how smart I am, but the strength of my voice is what makes me unique and beautiful. I have learned this from you. See, I saw you and I think you saw me too. That’s why you were standing taller and taller every day, showing your bravery so I could learn from you. Flower of mine, this world will no longer scare me or make me hide my voice. I will speak and I will stand tall as you did for so long. As long as I have my inner beauty, I will not let this world be turned into a shadow of lost souls like mine was. I will replace the hate with love and the violence with peace; I will use my voice to inspire others the way you inspired me.