(15, WA, USA) Anonymous - Valentine

It was Valentine’s Day. I had gotten dismissed from school early with my friends, and we decided to sit outside next to the grocery store for lunch. As we broke in and out of conversation, we started to become more observant of the people walking in and out of the store. People of every shape, size, color, and gender came out of the store with either flowers, chocolates, and teddy bears, or large carts of groceries. Fathers walked along with the beaming smiles of their daughters. Old couples passed by holding hands. People walked out with their hands full of gifts for their loved ones. I recognized people my own age walking together, laughing.

On the other hand, there were elderly people checking out their groceries, putting away carts from the parking lot. Some people walked out of the store by themselves with nothing but a can of coke. Naturally, it made me remember how no one person has the same story. I couldn’t tell how any of them were feeling just by watching them. Happy, nervous, scared, sad, anxious, alone? I couldn’t tell who was receiving their gifts. Partner, parents, kids, grandparents? It made me understand that we all live completely different lives. Everyone should cherish and live their own to the fullest without regrets.