If you know me at all, you have seen the bracelets that I wear on my left wrist. I never take them because the meaning of each one is something I like to be constantly reminded of. They add so much to my everyday life and going without them wouldn't feel right. I got all three of them at different moments in my life. Each one tells a story that not many people know.
The black and white braided bracelet was the first one I got. In 2016, I went to Ecuador for a missions trip. This was the first time I had ever left the country. Normally, I would be completely terrified of all the firsts I encountered on this trip. Instead, all the nerves were replaced with excitement. I spent ten days in a remote village called San Miguel. The group I was with was there to help build a church but the trip turned into so much more. I met so many amazing people and learned so many things that changed me for the better. It was such an amazing experience and I would gladly do it again. On the last day of the trip, we visited a market in Quito which is the capital of Ecuador. I stopped by this vendor and saw this bracelet. It was only fifty cents. I bought it and put it on. I haven't taken it off since. I wear it every day to remind myself that the world is so much bigger than just me. I wear it to not only remember the impact my group had on that small town on the other side of the world but also the impact they had on my team. And finally, I wear it as proof that my God can be seen in every place and more importantly everything.
The next bracelet is an all black thespian knot made out of theater fly line. I got this one in the fall of 2016 after I became apart of the international thespian society. The international thespian society is a society for actors and other people that work with theater. It's basically an honors society that connects people who do theater all around that nation. When you become a thespian at my school, you get a knot that signifies your joining the society. To me, my knot means family. The drama club was my home all throughout high school. I can't imagine my life without it. This club was more than a club to us, it was our family. I still wear this bracelet even after I graduated to remind me that they will always be there for me. No matter how far away we are from each other, we remain close in spirit, connected through the theater.
The final bracelet I wear is a simple gray band with the red letters "YNA" printed on it. I received this one during this past summer. Every year for the passes eight years I have attended a Christian camp called YTC. This camp is just one week out of the summer where around one hundred people get together to have fun and learn about Jesus. This camp has touched my heart in a way nothing ever has before. This years theme was "Survivor". We learned how to go back into the world and best live our lives for God. On the last night of the week, we were all given this bracelet with the simple letters "YNA"-- you are not alone. We all feel completely alone and helpless sometimes like we're all alone in the world. This bracelet connects everyone that goes to this camp and constantly reminds us that we aren't alone. It reminds us that not only do we always have each other but we also have God. Knowing this is getting me through my transition to college. Uprooting your life and moving away can be really hard sometimes and this bracelet gives me hope that I can do it. I've got people that believe in me and always have my back.
Someone just passing me in the halls might think the bracelets I wear are cool or aesthetic but they are so much more to me than that. They remind me of who I am when I feel lost or unsure of myself. They're a part of what makes me, me.
