“Life has been hard for me lately. I’ve had to worry about finals in school, some friendship problems, and many more challenges that life has thrown at me. It has been hard trying to navigate these challenges but I know that sometimes you have no control over what happens in your life. This took me a while to figure out, because I wanted to have control over everything. I wanted everything to go the way I wanted. But life does not work like this. I kept getting angry over things that I had no control over. I became more isolated and didn’t take help. But the advice that other people give you, can have such an impact on your life. My mother once said that when she was going to a new school or meeting new people, her dad always told her to smile and say hi and that advice had lasted her through her entire life. It made me realize how far advice can go if you follow it. I’ve always looked up to my aunt for being a problem solver and a positive person. If I have a problem, she is often one of the first people that I will go to. When I ask her for advice, she always has the best response. She has a real gift for putting herself into other people shoes, and understanding what they’re going through. If I’m having trouble with a classmate at school, and I talk to her about my problem, she will often dig deeper into the topic, wondering if they are facing their own battles in their life. I typically don’t think about that because I’m too busy distracted in my own life. But then I started paying more attention to their actions and realized that they are acting that way to others because their life at home or outside of school is challenging. And that motivates me to be kinder to them. My aunt has truly taught me lessons that will stick with me through the rest of my life. She has quite the way with words. And she is an expert problem solver! If I never took her advice or looked closer in other people’s lives, I would’ve still been angry and isolated. But sometimes you just need someone to talk to. And understand you. For me that person was my aunt. I am truly thankful for everything that she has taught me. She has made a huge impact in my life. And her daily morning messages give me a good head start to the day as well as a mission that I should complete that include interactions with others and paying attention to the little details that no one else sees.

If you are facing your own battles or going through something and need someone to talk to you I would recommend my Aunt Stephanie!! What she has told me and her advice that I ended up taking really helped me turn my life around and become a better person. “