17:1 "if i should have a daughter"

Ever since I watched her poem on a TED conference a couple years ago, Sarah Kay's "If I Should Have a Daughter" has always resonated with me. Not only does it explain what I wish for my future children, but what I hope for myself, and what my  mom has encouraged of me. Kay wishes to let her daughter grow and shine, and support her even when things don't go her way. She wishes for her daughter to keep an open mind and accept that no matter how hard she tries, she cannot do everything. To apologize when she's done something wrong, but never to apologize for the light in her eyes.

I havve had somme major opportuunities come knocking recently, and my mom has already enforced that I should not let them change me. She has always done her best to keep me humble and kind, though I do not always meet her expectations. However, she knows I am human too, and cannot be perfect. She encourages me to follow my passions and be independent. As I've been maturing I have been learning to follow different mantras in order to be my best self: "just do it", "hakuna matata: it means no worries", "you can't win if you don't try", "20 seconds of courage", "fake it 'til you make it", and  "happiness is a choice." These can all be tough to follow, but I know they are all in my best innterest. I am very thankful that my mom (and dad) has/have raised me to be confident, independent, and open-minded. I'm not in any way saying I'm perfect- everyone could be a better person somehow- but I choose to be happy and I'm working on being more positive, loving, and caring, and that's a good place to start. 

As I progress with my attitudes and choices, I hope everyone takes Kay's wishes for her daughter, not just for their children, but for him/herself as well. 

16:1 poetry

I've never been really into poetry, but I never reallly was against it either. Then I started AP Lit. I still don't despise poetry, but I don't like analyzing it how College Board wants us to. I prefer to read or listen to a poem, think about what I feel it's about, and enjoy the art that way. Instead, we have to figure out what the greatest poets were thinking and analyze it, all in about 7 minutes per poem. Sometimes I don't understand poems, and that's that. So now that I have to be the best poet analyist in order to do well on the test, it's frustrating. I look at a poem, I read it again, and again, and again. I look at the questions, and read the poem again. But sometimes it stil just doesn't click. So, at least for homework, I can look online and see what other people have analyzed the poem to mean, and even that's not always right. So then I'm left very frustrated, beginning to develop feelings against poetry. Why can't we just read some good heart-felt poetry that is deep but accessible, and talk aboutt that? I'd much prefer that than analyzing a piece by Emily Dickinson in 7 minutes while taking an AP class.