I observe him as he stirs the big pot murmuring to himself. The smell of sausages and red sauce wafts out into the air, making the whole house smell like home. His voice carries through the air lightly, as though it does not dare disturb the space around him. He chooses his words carefully, taking his time to analyze if it’s actually important to say, to put out into the world. He moves in smooth and calculated motions, muscle memory helping him along. In these moments, our words are only for the two of us. We are each other's safes, open to getting but oh so hesitant to give. We can talk about everything or nothing, a weight is lifted, just knowing that we have that option.The hands that are always wrapped around my throat, keeping me from sharing too much, release and I feel I can breathe again. I sit on my stool and just listen, knowing that if I want to speak I will be heard. How many times have I watched him make this dinner?

My personal library would be tucked away on the side of the house. It would take some effort to get there with many twists and turns. Up and down staircases past hallways and hidden doors and all of a sudden, you’d be there. Two glass doors with a handle on each one. You grip the handles and swing them towards you. It would be huge and cavernous but also cozy. A transparent ceiling so you can always see the sun, the sky or the stars. There would be shelves lining the walls with many cozy sitting spaces in between. In the middle of the library would be many couches, tables, desks, chairs and beanbags where you could sit down and read. My favorite books would be on a shelf closest to this area, so I could easily grab them then plop down into a seat (seats with butt warmers). The rest would follow a sort of “normal” library set up. Each group of shelves dedicated to a certain genre, in which the books would be organized by alphabetical order. Oh and of course we can’t forget the lights.

Born with potential. The ability to take control of your life. Make good choices. Be who you choose to be. And be the best you you can be. Your parents watch you grow up and become a young adult. You get the chance to expand your horizons and are encouraged to believe what you want to believe. you are given the right to have opinions, even if you shouldnt share them. You learn when it's the time to say something and you learn the ways of life. You start to have experiences and you learn from those experiences. Growing up shouldn't be scary. It is full of experience, laughter, memories, family, and friends. It is hard sometimes to think about what the future could hold. But you have the opportunity to take advantage of that future. 
“It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are.” 

-E. E. Cummings.
 

sometimes i feel like you can just meet someone, like at school or in some other public environment, and you just know that they're going to be your friend. like, you hit it off, you're talking, and then it feels like you've been their friend for years, not a matter of weeks, days, even minutes. that feeling, you know, of being accepted, belonging--it's amazing. new beginnings, everything. i just love it.
sometimes you can learn things about yourself from friends you never would have realized before. for example, making friends with other lgbtq+ people helped me realize last year that i was bi. i probably would have realized this anyway, but learning about other people's experiences as part of the lgbtq+ community definitely helped me along.

 “Plastics, it is the magic material! It can be transformed into clothes, bags, pillow and mattress memory foam, bottles, shoes, socks, stationary sets and so on. Almost everything in our lives contains ‘Plastics’. Micro Plastics are plastics made from the process of bigger plastics being broken down. It is usually less than 5mm long. Most people do not recognized the deadly side effects of Micro Plastics. There are uncountable amounts of disasters caused by Micro Plastics. I shall state two side effects of Micro Plastics, and some ways to prevent Micro Plastics from destroying our planet.
 

Native American poetry teaches about culture, values, connection, and spirituality. This specific post analyzes Native American poems and how they approach the topic of spirituality and what it means to them. Bedagi also known as Big Thunder’s unnamed poem quotes: “The Great Spirit is in all things: He is in the air we breathe. The Great Spirit is our father, but the Earth is our Mother. She nourishes us; that which we put into the ground she returns to us.” This poem reveals the humility of Big Thunder and how he believes people ought to take care of Earth. He explains how people are to appreciate what the Earth provides, through a paternal and maternal lens. Dave Chief, the grandfather of Red Dog, quotes: “Respect means listening until everyone has been heard and understood, only then is there a possibility of balance and harmony, the goal of Indian spirituality.” This poetic claim teaches how to accomplish balance and harmony, which are core goals of spirituality.