“The Story of Me” by Angela Solon resonated deeply with me. As soon as I read “I was born at 25 weeks,” I audibly gasped. I never expected to find a story in Teen Ink that I could connect with on such a personal level, for I was also born at 25 weeks and weighed about 1 pound 10 ounces. I survived and grew, but I was a frail, underweight kid who struggled in school. It was frustrating to fall behind the other kids on the playground and in the classroom. Now, I’m the same age and grade as Angela, and I’ve made similar leaps and bounds in my physical, mental, and emotional development with the help of teachers and doctors.

I was deeply humbled by the tangible wisdom in Angela’s piece. It was extremely mature of her to use the doubt she faced from people and turn it into empathy for others in similar situations. In the end, her belief rings clear and true: continuous, steady action done at your own ability does make a difference. Slow progress is still progress, and being a little behind others is nothing to be ashamed of, as long as you keep moving.

When I finished the last word of the piece, I thrust the magazine into my mother’s hands. Since she is a Chinese immigrant with English as her second language, she digested the paragraphs slowly and methodically, at the speed she could. Afterward, my mother gave the pithy verdict: “Very simple, and very good.”