Fortune or Fortunate?

I'm sitting here in bed on my laptop, tucked in for the night, snuggled in and ready to sleep. But something's been keeping me up. I had my palm read yesterday, and the woman said, among other things, that I would become less stressed in six to eight weeks. When she first told me I was excited. I thought about everything that has been stressing me out lately - school, planning the trip, prom, graduation - and how hard everything has been for me.

But reflecting on it now, how stressed can I really be? I mean yes, I'm exhausted from Share, and gardening, and getting up early for the 5K, but do I really have it so bad? On our way to the fortune teller my friends and I had an extra banana we didn't want, and we decided to give it to the next homeless person we saw. We sent over Emma to go and hand it to the man, and she never saw his smile because she was walking back towards us, but he looked as if she had just given him the world. And maybe she had. Maybe she given him a sign that there are people who still care.

Anyways, how stressed can I really be compared to that man? I know where I'm going to sleep at night, and I know I will have three square meals a day, and I know that my family and friends will always be there to love and support me. And I feel ashamed that yesterday I was so excited for her fortune to come true. Because what a selfish thing to wish - that I should be carefree when other people are struggling to survive.

And so my new resolution after this trip is to fight her prediction. Because I would rather be stressed out, and tired, and grumpy, and have given one person hope, and made them smile, than relaxed and watching the world's injustices go by without taking action. Even if I have my back turned when they do smile. And even if my back is turned now on Philadelphia, I know it is smiling for me, and I know I have brought a little hope to it. And that makes everything worth it for me.

- Tessa Reading