Over the last two months, a dozen students from three continents have been meeting to write and reflect as part of the Writers Matter program. The following piece is part of the “I am from” collection, and comes from Duru in Turkey.
When I was little I liked to imagine that I came from a place that’s filled with rainbows and unicorns where the sun never set. In reality I come from a place where the sun only comes up once in a while. I don’t know why I didn’t like the place I came from as a kid. Every night we ate dinner together. Sometimes that dinner table was filled with laughter and joy. But sometimes it was filled with silence cutting through the air like a knife. We used to play games or watch movies once in a while. I remember loving the time I spent with the people that make me who I am today. But now I barely see them. I can’t recognize where I come from, let alone the people whom I love the most.
I didn’t appreciate the good times back then and only focused on the bad stuff that led me to want only good things to happen. But what I hadn’t realized was that, in order to have a rainbow you need the rain too. Since I know that now, I can easily tell you where I come from. I come from a family that’s loving and caring where everyone looks out for each other. I come from a household that’s filled with fights and arguments that took days and months to be forgotten. I come from a place warmer than any sun could ever make me feel.
Now I’m proud of where I come from and the person that I have become.
Debate for Peace 