Being a 17 year old who has only been receiving emails from the Listserve for 3 weeks, you could only imagine my surprise when I won this lottery (I repeated “Oh my God, oh my God!” about a million times). I sat in complete shock as to why me, out of 23,000 other people, got chosen for this insane opportunity to share anything and everything.
The Listserve accomplishes an amazing feat of connecting people through stories and that’s why I first signed up when I found out about it. Every day, I have looked forward to read a snippet of another person's life and to be in their minds, even if it was for just 600 words or less. Because I’ve enjoyed this aspect so much, here’s a little bit about me.
When I was 7 years old, my dad died of an infection. It was the most devastating time of my life but I learned that life really does go on, even though at that moment it seemed like my whole world stopped. Through endless love and support from my mom, I have grown into a person that I think he would have been proud of. Going into my senior year of high school, I have so many things to look forward to. I dream of attending Colorado College and just doing what I love to do. I really have no idea what my profession will be or what my life will even be like a week from now, but what I do know is that I’m happy right now and in this moment.
Each person that resides on this planet has their own story. It could be filled with heartbreaks and loss or opportunities and joy. It is occupied by whatever you have been through, which is utterly unique to the story of the stranger who is standing next to you in line or your wife who is nestled in your arms. In some remarkable way, these stories are intertwined in a spiderweb spanning across the entire earth. We share commonalities that bring us together in a manner that is barely grasped. But in the end, we are all connected.
Whether you stub your toe or break your foot, you still have a right to say “ouch”.
Sabrina
[email protected]
Chicago, IL