In Arabic, the definition of my name is “night”. It means “dark”. It’s like the number thirteen, filled with a vast emptiness inside- like someone turned the light out. The night is when you get scared of the dark or have nightmares. But, the night can also be a place filled with lots of beauty and light; you just have to look hard enough.

My mother always likes to say the night is her favorite. She loves how the stars can illuminate the night like a bunch of fireflies dancing through the sky. I always try to look for the light in situations. It’s like the moon; once you find it, it lights up a whole path for you that you didn’t see before.

I am not named after anyone special. Well, not my first name at least. My middle name, Grace, was inspired by my great-grandma on my mom's side. This name means “charm, goodness, and generosity” and I feel like both my names match who I am. I am like a mixed version of both of my parents. A good mix, of equal parts, strong, positive, and mysterious. I was born in the Year of the Tiger, meaning I express generosity, ferocity, and courage. I am like my mom in that way. 

Loving, dancing, laughing. That’s who I am, always happy. I try to be at least. That is one way I’m like the night sky. Sometimes, stars are easy to find, shining bright for everyone to see. But sometimes, they are hidden and you have to look to find them. If people are not willing to look deep down, they are not worth it. Only my real friends truly see me. They see me as a smart, happy girl who can appear as blank and empty as the night sky but has lots of hidden beauty.

Even though I sometimes hate my name, because it’s overused,  I wouldn't change it for anything. I love the way the name rolls off your tongue. A song note on the roof of your mouth. I love being the stars in someone's life, lighting up their sky.  My name at first can seem plain, like the night sky, but it’s when you really look, you find the stars.