Identity

One important factor that has affected my identity as a person are my relationships with my parents. My mom has greatly affected who I am as a person today. She always helps me whenever I need help and her compassion and generosity has affected me as a person as well. My mom has also always taught me to help others and give back to the community. My mom has encouraged me to be active in my community and to give back to others. After my 8th grade graduation, my mom told me that we should try to start a high school youth group for the people in my parish so that we could all stay connected during high school. My mom and I got together and decided to form a youth group for my parish. The youth group that we formed my freshman year is now doing many service projects and is run by a youth minister at my parish. My mom has always told me to give back and to given me the incentive to give back and to better the community.

Another important factor that has shaped my identity is my friendship with my best friend Kelee. Kelee and I have been best friends since sixth grade. She has always been there for me whenever I have needed her help with a situation in my life. She always makes me talk to her so that she can help me even if I don't want to talk at the time. She is always there for me. She always knows how to help me and gives me the advice I need. One of the important things that she helps me with in my life is realizing what is truly important in life. Kelee helps me to forget the little troubles in life and worry about the bigger picture. Kelee helps me to relax when I am stressed and reminds me that the things that  I am worried about are usually not that important. Kelee always tells me to think about the lyrics of the Bob Marley song "don't worry about a thing cause every little things gonna be alright."

Another important factor that has shaped my identity is music. Whenever I need to relax, I sit down and listen to music. Often my family yells at me for playing my music too loud and disrupting everyone else in the house. However, I think loud music sometimes is the only thing that can truly soothe the soul. Whether I am listening to a calm and inspirational song such as "Holding Out for a Hero" or an upbeat song on the radio, music allows me to express my mood and be released from the world for a short time. I also took piano lessons as a child. Although I do not know many of the songs that I used to know how to play, sometimes sitting down at the piano and learning even just the opening of a new song can be the escape I need. I often will teach myself how to play just the very beginning of a song and perfect that part of the song. Being able to be myself through music allows me to express my emotions.