Birthday parties, celebrations, late night talks were all things I remember from my childhood. The word childhood just gives me nostalgic throwbacks to the taste of a SpongeBob popsicle or the sounds of my brother’s video games. Two of my five siblings have moved out and started the lives they thought about when they were young. All my siblings, including one sister and three brothers, are adults now. It is crazy to think that my siblings who were once my roommates are now greeted as guests in the house they once grew up in.

Life comes with a lot of uncontrolled factors and uncertainty. For example, growing up and death. It’s scary that those concepts are so normalized and are happening at every second of every minute. When I scroll on TikTok and see old shows I used to watch, I get a sense of nostalgia. This also happened from a song I listened to during the summer of 2022. It was so recent but became a feeling and memory before I could even notice. Even when I am typing this paragraph It is 11:27 am on January 10th but soon it’s going to be 11:28 am so this minute will soon become a memory. I wish I could endure life to its fullest potential and be in every moment but my mind slips from the experience and I feel overwhelmed. Below is a picture of when I was younger and how I didn’t even realize I was growing. I have no memory of this photo and wish I could remember every moment that made me laugh.

To my neighbor’s apple tree. Thank you for telling me that there is life beyond the dead trunk. Flowers can flourish from leaves and something sweet can come from something bitter. Thank you for giving me something to look forward to. Thank you for showing me that even the smallest apple can have the strongest taste. I will reflect on the moments when I sprinted from my house to your tree or rode my hello kitty scooter. I will forever appreciate the open arms and I hope that I will have an apple tree of my own one day. I am glad you taught me to share and appreciate the little things in life. I hope my kids will be able to see the apple tree when we visit the neighborhood I once called my own.

I will never understand the act of judgment. Everything looks so different in my eyes and it’s hard to compare. Sunsets and flowers are both beautiful but are nothing similar. The bright Albert Einstein said one of my favorite quotes: “Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.” The world comes in such varieties that everyone should be able to live their lives without thinking they are below others. The world has many passions and it is hard to compare one thing to another.

I love giving more than I like receiving. To see that joy in my loved one’s eyes or that huge smile is something I will always remember. To be able to make someone’s day especially when they are having a rough one is such a warm feeling. Surprising people, complementing, or just giving gifts will always have a special place in my heart. I believe this trait was passed on to me by my mother. I remember when I was little I would go to school and come home to a clean room. This gesture had the ability to make my whole week. I started to do the same thing to my sister when she would come home later than I would. This also happened in the mornings when my mom would wake up and go to the bathroom I would make her bed. I find happiness in the joy of others.