The Dumbledore quote that relates to me the most is the one that says, “Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, when one only remembers to turn on the light.” This quote is very special to me because a lot of times when people find themselves lonely or sad, they need to remember that there is lots of good in everything, you just need to make the choice of whether to look for it or not. Sometimes the joy may seem impossible to find, and I think almost everyone can relate to that in some point in their life. Remember that there is beauty in everything, and when you feel lost you can always step into the light and help it guide your way out of the darkness. This quote relates to me very much because during the 5th grade I was going through a lot of friend issues and sometimes I didn’t really know who to be friends with and who to trust. But then I remembered that this was my last year, and that I should make the best of it! I started talking to some new friends, and I was so much happier.

Somebody that I look up to as my hero is Taylor Swift. I look up to her because she has great music and she is a powerful figure for all women.

I really like her music because all of her songs are really cool, unique, and well written. Taylor writes almost all of her songs on her own and plays a lot of the instruments that she uses in them. Also, she has an all around amazing voice that is very nice to hear! My favorite song from her albums is Anti- Hero because it is so different from any other song that I have heard before and she also puts al lot of emotion and passion into the songs she writes.

Another reason that Taylor Swift is someone that I look up to is because she is a powerful person and represents women. Her music, actions, and success prove that women can do anything that they put their mind to! She also encourages women all over the world to make sure that their voice is being heard and that their thoughts and feelings matter just as much as anyone else’s!

For this month’s reading, I read The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon. This story is about a boy and a girl in New York who begin to fall in love despite the fact that they could never be with each other, because Natasha was an immigrant from Jamaica and was being deported just later that day. This is a heartfelt love story where two people who believe they were meant to be try to fit their entire love history into one day.

I recommend reading this book because it is about the true love that Daniel and Natasha have for each other and it is really sweet how they make the most of the short but meaningful time that they have together. It will really make you feel like you are part of the story with these truly realistic yet completely lovable characters!

My favorite character is Daniel. I really like this character because he is very persistent. On the night when Natasha was being deported, Daniel wanted to stay with her as long as possible due to his extreme love for her. According to the author, Daniel says, “I’m going to go with you to your house, and then we’re going to take a cab to the airport, just the two of us. Then I’m going to watch you get on a plane and feel my heart get ripped out of my f****** chest, and then I’m going to wonder for the rest of my life what could’ve happened if this day hadn’t gone exactly the way it’s gone.” (Page 306) This quote demonstrates this character trait because Daniel is not willing to let Natasha go. He wants to stay with her as long as possible and get to know her as well as he can because he wants to make the memories of her last.

My favorite quote from The Sun is Also a Star is when she finally sees Daniel again after arguing with him. The text states, “But the smile on my face needs to be measured in miles, instead of inches.” (Page 259) This is my favorite quote from the story because it demonstrates the overall feel good and happy feelings from the book. It visualizes her extreme happiness that she feels after being reunited with her boyfriend again!

Instead of making a New Year’s resolution this year, I am going to focus on one word. That word is flexibility. Last year, I noticed that I wasn’t very mentally flexible! This year I am going to remember that sometimes things are not going to go exactly as planned and that is ok. I like to control what happens in my life and know when it will happen. This year, I would like to learn to realize that that will almost never be the case!

In 2024, I will help train my mind to go with the flow and have other people make the decisions about what will happen for me from time to time. This is a very important life skill to have in the future because so many forces of nature, events, and people can affect my plans! Also, it can be more fun and adventurous if you change your plans because you can experience new people and places that I’ve never met or been to. I am looking forward to a new year in 2024!!!