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"Dream a Little Dream of Me" by the Mamas and the Papas

I've loved this song since I was a toddler. It was on a lullaby tape that my mother would play for me each night before I would go to sleep. I've loved this song ever since. It is a love song, and I love "love." The way that it flows and the piano solo bring out a simple musicality aspect that I love to listen to. It calms me down when I need it to. I feel like it's a song that is similar to a safety blanket at some points. It helps me remember my childhood and who I really am.

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I spent all my time from preschool to 8th grade at one school. Thinking of change made me anxious. I would be around people that weren't similar to me. I wouldn't know the routine if things would be easy or hard. I wasn't sure if I would be able to make friends, or if the fact that I am Muslim and Arab would get in the way of relating to others. Interestingly enough, I knew more about my surroundings because I more familiar with everything than I am now. I didn't question certain aspects of my life, and that made things easier and more simple. Now, I have sought out challenges and the answers to the questions I am most curious about. For the most part, those questions never have answers. This graduation was the beginning of something unknown, and I believe that I am still trying to figure it out, and will never stop.

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This was a rite of passage to me because I learned not only my true potential, but also that I could fulfill this true potential with hard work and determination. There were many points before the show in which I felt helpless and weak. I didn't think I could accomplish such a role with any sort of elegance. I thought my voice would sound horrid, and I wouldn't be able to engage the audience if I didn't channel my true emotions. And I felt as though I couldn't channel my true emotions. But then, I got real with myself and realized that I was chosen for this particular role for a reason, it was because I could do it and I could do it well. I kept on telling myself this, and channeled any sadness or fear when singing a song that required those emotions. With this, I feel as though I did a really great job. And I am not afraid to say so.

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“It’s not my job to change people,” Brian told me when I pestered him about it, “just love people.” (page 14)

I have had many people attempt to fix or change me in my life. It has never worked. I believe that love can heal and can help, and thus can begin growth and experience. A person must find it within himself or herself to change, if it is possible. It cannot be done by an outside individual.

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“In the company of these friends, questions and doubts were met with sympathy, not fear. No one felt the need to correct or understand or approve. We just listened, and it was sacred.” (page 15)

In my opinion, listening is the most powerful form of love, especially for those that go unheard. When you truly listen, you give yourself the ability or the chance to have empathy. Empathy can help you either become closer with a person or move forward in conflicts between yourself and another. Both are beneficial to your wellbeing and to broadening your personal view.

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“I am writing because sometimes we are closer to the truth in our vulnerability than in our safe certainties,” (page 33)

I believe that in order to be honest, you must be vulnerable with yourself. You must ask yourself what is it that you truly want or fear. If you let other thoughts that mean nothing get in the way of the truth, you cannot learn more about yourself. It is difficult to come to the point in which you realize that there is still so much to discover, and so much that is unknown about who you are. Once one can accept that with a true vulnerability, one can begin to learn, and never stop learning.

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My parents have an influence on who I am because they taught me right from wrong, gave me a religion to follow, and ideas as of what the true purpose of life is. As I begin my journey moving forward, I can take some of their teachings with me. They shaped many of my characteristics such as kindness, respect, and the love that I have toward others. They taught me that I was blessed with a voice, and unfortunately others have not been. Therefore, I can use my voice in order to liberate those that don't have one.

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My family has influenced my opinion on the importance of family. They have taught me that you can bring any culture together, with different backgrounds and traditions, and still have the ability to get along and laugh as long as love and respect are present. They have taught me the importance of relationships and the fact that relatives deserve more than a phone call every once in awhile.

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My brother taught me to be tough. He has taught to never take anything to seriously, and that silence is better than useless and meaningless conversation. I have watched him grow and seen his development throughout the years, from a careless high school boy, to a serious marine biologist graduate student. He has showed me that hard work pays off more than anything, and that you must find the strength within yourself to do that work. In many indirect ways, he has shown me that I am strong, and that I am the only that can enable that strength.

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They have shown me what it means to be a truly independent woman. Each of them has had their own downfall in life, and later reached high levels of success. They have never let the words of others bring down their determination or motivation. They continue to laugh through times of hardship and love through times of hate. They give me the type of support I need to keep going when I feel frozen or incapable of moving forward. Their love gives me inspiration to continue on in life with the same curiosity as they have.