Allisandra Sagat – “I Believe That Everything Matters”

I believe that everything in life matters–that everything happens for a reason.

Everything from the Sun rising and setting into day and night, to every goose that migrates
as winter rolls around and every leaf has descended off their branches matters; everything
from the most genuine acts of kindness, to the world’s most beautiful and exotic features.
Each person has a story to tell, and every magnificent scene tells a story that people cannot
fathom in our modern words–from the beautiful collage of pastel colors painting an early
morning blue sky into a beautiful ombré of colors, to the microscopic creatures that crawl
beneath our feet. It isn’t until I notice these blessings that I realize the world around me is
full of emotions. I am only a single puzzle piece that connects with hundreds to create a
magnificent image; an image full of knowledge, distress, pleasure, and memories. But all
these memories matter because they are the factors which shape me into the person I am
and will become. Sometimes we need to set aside the strain of high school drama and
yearly tests, and start to have a heart-to-heart connection with the issues we acknowledge
in society everyday; poverty, crime, conflict. I believe that all of this exists in the world for
the reason that we’ll be able to make a change. As I set aside all of my worries, I
acknowledge what truly matters to me in life.

The late night snack runs on weekends that my mother enjoys bringing my sister
and me on. She knows just how to make us enjoy the day before facing the stress of school.

Spending time with my father in the wheelhouse of the charter boat he dives on in
the Summer. A sunny day down at Captree Port is a perfect way to spend my day.

Having friends to lean on during both the happy and sad times. The neverending
spontaneous conversations and adventures that always lead to contagious laughter until
our cheeks turn red and sore.

The voice of my best friend saying, “good morning, wanna hang?” which effortlessly
excites me for what the afternoon may hold.

Diving head first into high waves while having total disregard of the limitations
made by laws of gravity. As I’m trapped inside the force of the wave, it feels as though I’m
flying and my limitations are smaller than I think. With disregard of the wave’s natural
actions, I crash down into the rough sand and get up feeling alive.

All these valuable events happened to create an everlasting joy through cherished
memories. I believe that they happened to create a comforting sensation–that every
memory or event has a purpose. Every situation that occurs in my life has a motive; the
most devastating news, the most tragic loss, the most painful memory. All these
experiences happened to fuel my mind and body to strengthen my overall image. As I take a
look around the world, I see broken-down buildings, abandoned shopping carts carrying all
the possessions of people without homes, and cheap bags filled with cans and bottles for
recycling. As I’m growing older when the months pass into years, I realize that there’s both
beautiful and disappointing things in life that are made to help me grow as a person.
Because of this core belief, I’ve surpassed many challenging obstacles by using this belief as
a mental guideline to motivate myself to become stronger. This is because deep down to my
black combat boots, I know that everything happens for a reason. I believe that everything
in life matters.