Some Words Worth A Life

Lavanya was an orphan from a young age.. She did not let that break her. Every time someone said something mean to her it made her stronger. She grew up to be an smart girl. She did well in school and in competitions. Wherever she went people noticed her talent.

There was one thing she could never figure out.

Was she strong because she was brave or because she was lonely?

She usually thought it was because she was lonely.

She had no one to turn to so she learned to rely on herself. She did not like being in groups or talking to a lot of people. It was not that she did not like people it was just that she thought people would always leave her.

Today was the day of the writing competition between colleges.

The hall was filled with the sound of conversations and nervous laughter. Writers were holding their notebooks. Thinking about what they would say.

Lavanya was sitting quietly in the back row.

She was holding her diary. She was not thinking about the competition.

She was thinking about all the things people had said to her.

"You are not good enough."

"Other people write better than you."

"You are here because you got lucky."

"You are all alone."

These voices were not coming from the people around her.

They were her thoughts.

Then Radhika got up on stage with a smile.

"Good morning, everyone.

I am here because I love to write. Yes I want to win. Today I want to leave with something more important than a prize.

We all doubt ourselves before competitions.

That is normal.

Do not let your doubts stop you.

The world already has people who do not believe in you.

Do not be one of them."

Everyone clapped.

Radhikas words meant a lot to Lavanya.

They did not make her loneliness go away.

They made her realize that the mean voice in her head did not have to be the one in charge.

Then it was Lavanyas turn to talk.

She went up on stage with shaking hands.

She took a breath.

"Hello, everyone.

My name is Lavanya.

To be honest I had written a speech. Now that I am here I do not think those words are really mine.

People often ask where stories come from.

I think stories start when our feelings get too strong to keep

Some people talk about their feelings.

Some people write about them.

Today I am doing both.

Thank you and good luck to everyone."

She got down from the stage.

For the time in years her heart was beating louder than her fears.

The competition went on.

When it was Lavanyas turn to write she did not try to impress the judges.

She just wrote what she felt.

Every sentence felt lighter than the last.

For the time she was not writing to prove herself.

She was writing because she loved it.

When they announced the results Lavanya was the winner.

Everyone clapped.

Radhika was smiling.

The host asked, "What did you learn from this competition?"

Lavanya smiled.

"This morning I thought I needed someone to hold my hand.

Today I realized something.

Sometimes the hand we are looking for is our own."

The hall was quiet.

Lavanya kept talking.

"When our thoughts make us strong of weak our fears start to go away."

After the ceremony people started to leave.

Lavanya was alone, in the hall.

For years she had wished someone would wait for her after she won something.

No one ever did.

She looked around.

Then she smiled.

She put her hand on her heart.

She said, "I am proud of you, Lavanya."

These were five simple words.

They were words she had been waiting to hear her whole life.

Now she knew that the person she had been waiting for was herself.

Some words are worth a life.