The purity of love: how much love one human being can actually express for another has always been a question that has baffled even the wisest of men. I have questioned extensively the validity of unconditional love. I believed for so much of my life that love was entirely conditional: that a person cannot possibly love another person for their flaws. I have come to find, however, that flaws are what make people beautiful. I have learned that love is unconditional; anything and anyone can be loved fully and truly. I have learned this without any ease at all, and unfortunately by way of tragic circumstances that initially me question human nature, but have since made me appreciate to the most profound extent the capacity for feeling and reflecting, and most importantly, my capacity for learning from all that I see.

One chilly December morning, my dad and I were in a T-mobile store shopping for Christmas presents when a man came in with a bandana pulled up over the lower half of his face, gun in hand. My dad prompted me to run, and I listened. As shots were fired at our backs, I fell. My dad stood over me with his arms outstretched and proved to me the definition of unconditional love as he faced that man with the gun. For whatever reason, the man turned and fled. Since that day, however, I have known the power of unconditional love and the lessons it can teach to those who take anything for granted, as I once did my own life, my education, my relationships, my everything.

People wander into our lives for any reason at all, but each one has something to teach, even the man from the T-mobile; in fact, he helped teach me this greatest of lessons. No matter whether or not the relationship is an entirely positive one, there remains something to be gained from every encounter. I have come to view education in this way. Sometimes, school work gets grueling. Sometimes, when I feel unmotivated, I remind myself that I am here to take advantage of every gift that I have been given. What a wonder it is to be able to acquire knowledge, to utilize the powers of the mind to move mountains! This unconditional love I have for learning allows me to see the world through what some may call rose-colored glasses, but it allows me to love and be loved in complete confidence as well; moreover, it allows me to gain insight into a constantly changing world. It allows me to equip myself for challenges that I realize can always be overcome with unconditional love and passion for life. I have insatiable curiosity, and because of my ability to love, I seek out challenges that will help me grow. I approach everything with vigor and interest, and see an opportunity for education around every corner, on every page, with every person’s hand I shake, and even with every fall I take.