personal essay: lauren harrington

I believe that you can go for months or even years without seeing someone but think about them every day in a way that makes them more present than some who are present. I have seen that one wrong move can change everything, and that one right move can too, or it can go unnoticed.

I know that words can hurt and that they stay with you and sometimes they stare at you when you are looking in the mirror. I believe that no one has the right to make you feel lesser than you are and that most days, many days, some days, I believe I am enough. I don’t know who defines beauty but wonder if they understand that if we were all beautiful in the same way, then the painters, the poets, and the teachers would remain silent.

I think that we are neither rewarded for our good actions nor punished for our bad, but that the reward for a good life is a good life. I want my life to be measured in friendships started and gardens planted instead of dollars earned and ladders climbed. I want to explore new places and try new things and return—changed—to the old places and the old things that remain unchanged.

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about the writer: lauren harrington

Lauren Harrington is a traveler, writer, teacher, coffee drinker, and photographer.

Instagram: teacher_lauren