To claim that I have found the meaning of life sounds like the beginning of another dreaded clickbait article.  Even in consideration of this, I still believe that the answer lies in our impact in the world and on others. Most people could agree when I state that every single person in my life has affected how I live.  I have met hundreds of people by moving states every two years, many of which are still changing my perspective of the world today. After moving nine different times, never in my life have I known exactly what to expect when I move into a new community.  I am always kept on my toes with interesting people at my schools or new ways of life I have never experienced.

A truly unforgettable experience that encapsulates my association with moving involves my friends that I met while living in Wisconsin.  Since first entering the school, they were accepting of who I was. They introduced me to a new perspective on what real friendships could become.  I could share my feelings and not face criticism, instead learning that my opinions were valid between them. I grew very close with that group and it broke my heart when I had to tell them I was moving again, this time to New Jersey.  Not only was I crushed by the fact that I would have to restart my life at another school, but I felt horrible for putting them in the position of having a friend taken away. While I knew I could still talk to them through our phones, I knew I would be missing them grow, developing new friendships and having unique experiences without me.  As I was coming to terms with my inevitable absence during that year, I eventually realized how greatly I underestimated the effect of developing strong bonds with my friends and how much we meant to each other.

This impact was highlighted six days before I moved, on my birthday.  At my birthday party, everyone was thoughtfully bringing picture frames of memories we had made during my time with them.  In the midst of this, I had one friend that told me she was bringing a present, but that it had to remain a surprise until my last day there.  She said to me, “I have something else for you, but I have to give it to you right before you leave, because we’ll just end up crying every time we see each other afterwards.”  I was immediately curious about what she had in store for me, and what type of gift would elicit the type of reaction she predicted.

Eventually, the last day before I moved came around and Sarah was at my house.  She walked up to me and handed me a white, rectangular box. She told me, “Don’t open it yet, wait until I leave.”  I agreed, setting the box down. As we tearfully said our goodbyes, I became increasingly interested in what her gift was.  Finally, after Sarah left, I wiped at a few of the tears on my face and sat down on my couch, with the box on my lap. I hesitantly placed my hands on the box and lifted the top up.  Looking inside, I was confused. I saw a pink metal sign that looked like it was from any chain department store. But as I read the words on the sign, I realized the importance of trying to positively impact every school, community, and state I could.  On the sign was the phrase, “She leaves a little sparkle wherever she goes.” Seeing this sign touched my heart and emphasized the importance of being kind to others and being conscious of how to treat people. Being gifted with this sign also bestowed a sense of fulfillment in me.  It has always been essential to me to treat anyone, whether it be a friends or a stranger, with kindness. Therefore, seeing that at least a small amount of my efforts had paid off, I was overwhelmed with the intense emotion that wherever I traveled to, I would always find people I could appreciate.

Since then, I have moved to New Jersey and hung the sign up on the front of my bedroom door, as a constant reminder that my impact on the world is important.  People will always be interacting with each other, whether it be positive or negative. The impact our words and actions has can sometimes not be considered as heavily as it should be.  Through this small event in my life, I have recognized to an even greater extent the need to always work towards spreading and encouraging happiness in the world.