In front of me there is a lake. The water is glass, like I could walk on it. It is another reminder that even though the world may be chaotic around it, the water can be as calm and as quiet as a Sunday morning church congregation during the sermon. To my left, the sun is making its presence known, poking through the trees. The light shifts as the trees dance in the wind, casting different shadows. The branches on the trees reach out to other trees to make sure they stay upright. All around me, a blanket of leaves covers the forest floor. I look up at the trees and notice a few leaves still holding on, fighting with all their might to stay attached to that tree. On the other side of the shore, the water shows a reflection of the trees and the log home that’s over there.

I’m in my senior year in high school. My parents, grandparents, and uncles have told me that if I do it right, my senior year will be a breeze. They told me to take all my hard classes freshman, sophomore, and junior years so I can ease off my last year. I’m about a month into my last year and let me tell you, “a breeze” isn’t a phrase I would use to describe it so far.

The leaves have a contest to see who can stay attached the longest. Each one of them stays on until they have nothing left. Some give up right away and just fall with the first wind gust they encounter. Others are stubborn and determined to stick with the host. It takes several wind gusts to bring them down. They don’t want to drown in the lake of other fallen leaves. They want to stay living up high in the tree.

In school, I am getting swamped with work. There are days where I have an essay due, multiple tests, and multiple assignments due. This is very stressful and overwhelming. It is very easy to fall behind and give up. The work and assignments will snowball if I’m not careful. I know I can handle it all though and I fight with everything I’ve got to get everything done to the best of my ability. I complete everything on time and I do well in all of my classes. I’m not someone who quits something or doesn’t finish something.

The water displays exactly what it sees. In this case, it’s the reflection of trees and a log home. In my opinion, the picture of water reflecting something is one of the coolest things ever. It is really amazing how water is reflective. The reflective water in my mind is like the truth. It shows you what it sees whether you like it or not.

What image do people see when they look at me? My goal is for the answer to that question to be nothing but positive things. When someone thinks of me or sees me, I want them to think of how hard I work. I want them to think of how supportive and encouraging I am to other people. I want them to think of my drive to be the best person I can possibly be. The reason I want all of this is because I believe I have created that reflection for myself.

Depending on where the water is, the reflection can either be pretty or ugly. Either way, nothing will prevent an image from being shown. The image shown can be altered though. It doesn’t have to be a huge change but it can happen. An example of a change of image is summer and fall. In the summer, all the trees are green and all of the leaves are on the trees. In the fall, trees are different colors because the leaves are different colors. There are also fewer leaves on the trees because they have fallen to the ground.

I strive to be the best person I can possibly be. My goals are to give everything I’ve got into everything I do. To never give up. I want to be helpful and nice to other people and at the same time hold people accountable. I strive to get the best grades I can possibly get, be the best athlete out on the field or court, and be the best teammate and friend there is. To me, being a good teammate and friend means being there whenever they need me to be. Maybe helping someone with their homework if they want it, or help them with any personal problems.

Many things open my eyes while I write in this beautiful environment of nature. Watching the assorted color leaves clinging onto their branches for dear life while the trees are swaying in rhythm with the wind is very peaceful. It just reminded me to keep hanging on with all of my struggles. The water sitting so still portraying an image of the forest looks like a painting in a museum. Looking at it told me to continue to be the best person I can be. It is truly amazing how positive being in nature can be for a person.