Close Reading and Composition, Fall 2016
This I believe Essay
"Ferrero Rochers and Dark Chocolates"
Hailey Park (Student Number: 10116)

	I believe in the quote “Life is like a box of chocolates,” from the movie Forrest Gump. Some days I get a sweet golden Ferrero Rocher, but other days I have to swallow a bitter piece of dark chocolate, the kind of sadness which numbs my tongue for hours. Still, I believe in the small joys and hope discovered every day, inside the raging storm of uncertainties. 
From the outside, I was a “good” student, always at the top of the class. I saw my parents’ faces shining with pride whenever people talked about how “good” I was. However, my soul was gloomy and exhausted. I suffocated myself with worries about the future, obsession with perfection, and fear of failure. I simply did not allow myself to be happy. One day, I got sick of my life chained up with all the burdens. I felt like I was going nowhere, despite my efforts to reach happiness. “When will these endless uncertainties end? Is there even an end? I am so tired – I don’t even know what’s going to happen tomorrow! I feel like living in a thick fog!” I screamed at my mom. Hugging me, she was calm but firm. “My dear, uncertainties never end. But think of it – doesn’t it make your life more exciting? Relax and open your mind, my girl. The world is not a one-way street. You might fail, but there are always wonderful things in store.” Her words of wisdom changed my view toward life. 
Today, I still aim for happiness. However, now I know that happiness is not something I can simply reach out and grab, but something that has always been around me, inside the thick fog. Now I believe that the best way of finding happiness is enjoying life. Enjoying life is accepting the fact that some days will be miserable, like the disgusting dark chocolates. Enjoying life is not being indifferent and ignoring things, but embracing everything that comes into my life, good and bad. Enjoying life is also not being too pessimistic about the world, and finding wonder in small things. 
	Also, I see the hope for tomorrow inside my box of chocolates. Tasting the bitterness of the dark chocolate in my mouth, I wish for a golden Ferrero Rocher. The only thing that I know is that there is my favorite chocolate inside the box, and someday, sooner of later, I will pick that one. I am young, and have loads of chocolates left in the box. I believe that each day being different is what keeps us strong and gives us the hope for a better future. 
	Life is hard, but I know that there are always things that make it worth all the hardships. I try hard inside the raging uncertainties, but do not worry too much about the consequences, because someday in the future I will be holding my Ferrero Rocher if I keep on trying. I believe in the certainty among uncertainties – my chocolate box.