Everyone will struggle in life; it's inevitable. Whether it’s those little minor inconveniences 

that change your mood for the day in an instant to having to grow up at an early age because your family isn’t all that great. Through life, you start to learn to find comfort in people or things that keep you going. It’s what keeps you in place when nothing in your life is stable. It’s what you get over times that you thought there was no end to. Some comfort items may come from your childhood that you grew an emotional attachment to because they stayed with you when you had to face any troubles. My childhood comfort item was the stars, especially the glow in the dark stars that are still up on the ceiling in my room. It was what calmed me down enough to fall asleep at night after getting upset at my siblings or my mom. The way they kept shiny even when I thought life at home wasn’t so bright and happy. 

" Only in the darkness can you see the stars " 
- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. 

        As someone who grew up in a household that didn’t ever have any positive affirmations when people will give you written cards just saying a basic thank you gives you that little push to keep on moving forward. That piece of paper that most people don’t think off again is something I use as a way to remind myself that there are people who love me. When life gets hard, it is easy to forget those that admire you. Just a reminder is always nice as it’s something that will brighten your day even if wasn’t so great at first. 

	I really didn’t think people loved me in my middle school days as I kept on having friends come and go. As it was middle school, days that I just want to put past me. I hadn’t necessarily had anyone there for my hard days and to like astronomy was considered to be “too nerdy.” I just had music. I didn’t play music; although I wished I did. I listen to music. It was what pushed me through days when I didn’t want to get out of bed, but I still did. With just an airpod in my ear, music kept me sane. No matter how stressful a situation was, I knew that listening to music would hold Strme together. As it will continue to be there for me when I need comfort. 

       Strugles are bound to happen through every step of your life. It doesn't define who you are. But with some struggles it changes you as you see life through a different lens. No matter the struggle, there's always something or someone who will be there and will stay with you to overcome these challenges life throws at you.