We all try to live by many different values, but usually one of them stands out a little more than the others... Is your value love? grit? giving back? What value defines you?
VETERAN SMILES
During a trip to a local veteran’s hospital with my dad in 2012, a Marine Corps veteran, I noticed that many of the veterans lacked basic toiletries and lived too far from the hospital for family or friends to visit regularly.
I was only 13 at the time, but decided to make a 4‑H service project to bring... SUBMITTED BY AMELIA DAYRead Story
MOVING BACK TO PENNSYLVANIA
When I was 11 years old, I had to move for the third time from Northern New Jersey to here, in North Wales, PA. Moving was very stressful; moreover, it had been about eight years since I had lived in the Philadelphia area. I was scared of going to a new school, adjusting to a new environment, and meeting new... SUBMITTED BY ALEX ZHOURead Story
CANCER AT 22?
My name is Zahra* and I am a warrior! I am sharing my story in the hope that if you or a loved one has been recently diagnosed with cancer, it will take you beyond the and help you through the difficult days ahead.
Exactly 4 months after my wedding, I started having killing headaches. I was in great shape... SUBMITTED BY ZAHRARead Story
NIGHT TO SHINE
On February 9, 2018, I was a volunteer at NFL star Tim Tebow's Night to Shine, a prom for developmentally disabled individuals. It was the most amazing, humbling experience I have ever been a part of.
These beautiful spirits believe they can do anything and who are we to tell them they can't? They sing. They... SUBMITTED BY JESSI MCINNISRead Story
FAMILY
Family has always been of great importance to me and something that I value very strongly. I grew up in an all-girl household with my mom and older sister while my dad and two older half-brothers live in Italy. Living in a household just us girls has brought us together and made the bond between us very strong.... SUBMITTED BY JULIA BORGHIRead Story
ON MY WAY HOME
I have always reflexively helped others. No matter how big or small the action, I am driven to help others; open doors, share umbrella, let others go first at the store if they have fewer items, and have received a prestigious Magnet Award for compassion.
I was driving home, north bound on a 6 lane highway. A... SUBMITTED BY CHARLIE ORead Story
INTO REALITY
From my earliest memory, I was always in my imagination. When I was a kid, I loved superheroes, so, not only would play as I were any particular hero, I also started making my own comic books. I liked the idea of creating something in my head and to bringing it to life. I am constantly daydreaming. I’m always... SUBMITTED BY EDDIERead Story
MY BIG FAT ITALIAN FAMILY
With every Sunday evening dinner, the value of family has been ingrained in me. My tranquil house would suddenly turn chaotic. Crammed around the table, the aroma of the meal, the loud banter, the playful teasing, and the preposterous arguments that hit ear-piercing crescendos capture the essence of my big... SUBMITTED BY MACKENZIERead Story
PERSISTING
I believe that persistence is a value that defines me best right now. Fo me, persistence is such an important value to have because it enables me to set a goal and chase it. Many times in past years I've fallen short of that goal, but it is my ability to be persistent that allows me to keep pushing forward and... SUBMITTED BY MICHAEL FELDMANRead Story
INTEGRITY VS. CHEETOS
When I was probably about 6 years old I remember being the least sneaky of all children. One time I had hot cheetos and my dad asked me if I had eaten them before dinner so I lied and said I hadn't. It was obvious that I had in fact been eating hot cheetos as I was literally caught red-handed in my lie. Around... SUBMITTED BY MYNA PRead Story
LIVING IN THE MOMENT
For me I really found mindfulness when I was studying abroad in Europe for four months. Never having been to any of the countries I visited before, everything was new to me. The buildings, the streets, the art, and the just the beauty of these old cities around me was unlike anything I had ever seen. I remember... SUBMITTED BY RACHAEL SINCICHRead Story
FRIENDSHIP
One of my biggest values in life is friendship. I believe I developed the value of friendship early in life through the schools I attended. I come from a decently large suburb, but attended small private schools growing up. My grade always had about 50 kids in it from Kindergarten through high school. I went... SUBMITTED BY JOSH BRONERRead Story
FORGIVENESS IS SOMETHING YOU HAVE TO KEEP IN MIND ALL THE TIME
When I was younger I used to be verbally bullied. Throughout my childhood different girls would come up to me and call me names and made fun of me. There were a lot of girls who did that but only three hurt me the most (let´s imagine their names were "A", "B" and "c"). The girl "A" which was the first one... SUBMITTED BY CONFIDENCIALRead Story
MY ROCK
As a kid growing up, I moved 6 times. That meant finding a new house, moving into a new school with new teachers, adapting to a new place and new culture, and also making new friends. It almost turned into clockwork; every 3 years likely meant a new place for me to move. Everyone always assumes I'm apart of a... SUBMITTED BY ADAM BREACHRead Story
LIFTING UP
I am seven years older than my twin cousins. When I was young, I think 8 or 9, they were toddlers. They really liked me and me them. They would cry a lot and I only saw them for the final two weeks of the year over break because I lived in New York and them in LA.
One night I was playing with them and it was... SUBMITTED BY GRIFFIN RUBINRead Story