RACHEL WAHBA

In Judaism there is a concept that allows everyone to feel special in their own right. The story goes like this: Every person holds two papers in his or her pocket. In on paper it says “The world was created for me”. The other paper says “I am nothing but dust and ash”. We are meant to coexist with these two truths. I live my life believing these two statements. While compared to the 7 billion people in the world, I am just a little piece of dust, I also know that the world is made for me, and without me, Earth would be a different place. I matter simply because I am alive. When I asked my sister “Why do I matter?” She immediately answered “Well what would I do without you? You’re my everything.” As the 4th of 5 children in my family, the burden of responsibility has fallen on me. I matter because I am a loving, caring daughter. I am a helping friend. I am a respectful student and classmate. You may think that I am insignificant and small like a piece of dust, but if you look at yourself as a large part of something smaller, you realize that the world was made just for you. Not only does my life matter, but all of our lives matter.