I grew up as an extremely optimistic child—elated over ice cream cones, five extra minutes of TV, and finally convincing my parents to turn off the car window childlock. Seeing the world as always glass-half-full, in elementary school, happiness could be shared with smiles and high-fives, and my mission to share kindness was easily pursued. 

As I’ve gotten older, spreading this same kindness, something I’d assumed would always come just as easily, became more complex. Suddenly, friend groups had drama, school mattered, and free time quickly slipped out of schedules. The inclusive nature of class-sized birthday parties and park play-dates were now tainted with exclusive group chats and claimed cafeteria chairs. Tight social circles redefined who was friends with who, and all of a sudden, kindness became more cautiously shared. Not because we weren’t kind, but because we didn’t know who would appreciate it most. 

Although physically within my bookshelf, the famous line of RJ Palacio’s “Wonder,” “When given the option between being right and being kind, choose kind,” has made its way into every aspect of my life. Little did fifth grade me know that she would so heavily lean on those words. 

What I’ve learned throughout my past four years is that our increasing responsibilities and defining circles don’t have to influence our ability to be kind. Although high school is more complex than life once was, our small, unique ways of sharing joy and brightening the lives of others doesn’t have to be. Smiling at others in the hall, inviting someone to a lunch table, and adding just one more person to a group chat has the ability to greatly change the trajectory of another’s high school experience. So many of my smallest actions have brought me my closest friends—ones I will now stay closest with next year and who I can’t imagine my life without. 

While my life has evermore to change, what won’t is the engraving of Palacio’s words in the back of my mind, influencing me to become just a little bit kinder each day.