Last Friday evening, when I returned home, my little sister had asked to read an excerpt from her school journal. Knowing how much I enjoy writing, she was eager to hear my feedback on what she had written. As she read her piece, I began to connect with with what she was saying, and it inspired me.

She wrote:

"I am from the crowd cheering for me as my feet hit the ground when I run.
I am from the soft wet ground when I play lacrosse.
I am from careful bones in my family's bodies not to break.
I am from the smell upstairs, a great smell of good and tasty, of my mom's chicken casserole.
I am from my foot stuck under the golf cart.
I am from my family going to Dorman High School.
I am from West Virginia because my mom was born there.
I am from the letter M because most of my family's name has the letter M.
I am from Gamecocks because we love them."

I was a bit confused when she first presented it to me, so I asked her to explain. She went on to tell how most people, when they are asked where they are from, will say Spartanburg, South Carolina, or the name of their hometown, but they come from a whole lot more than where they were born. They come from who they grew up with, their favorite restaurants, familiar sounds, the smell of the flowers from their grandmother's garden, or anything that has helped define them as a person. Our life is an accumulation of all that we have been influenced by, and her writing encompassed the innocence and beauty of what a young girl believes has shaped her.

I decided to create my own list and I want to encourage you to do the same, so there might possibly be a newfound appreciation for all we have experienced.

I am from the cheers of "Happy New Year" on my birthday each year.

I am from skinned knees and deep bruises from the hours spent outside.

I am from khaki skorts and the red, white and blue t-shirts of my school uniform.

I am from my forehead lying on the under fur of my cocker spaniel, Charlie's, belly.

I am from hair loss, IV tubes and hospital rooms.

I am from the gravestone stating my name as his daughter.

I am from being 3 inches taller than my fourth grade teacher.

I am from essay contests and spelling bees.

I am from soccer cleats, knee pads and basketball skids.

I am from hours in the car to perform in another tournament.

I am from my hand raised and my heart vulnerable to the praise of the Lord.

I am from chants from Dawkin's student section as I slammed the ball to the court.

I am from overalls and crosstown rivalries that ended in sunflower-seed spitting contests and petting zoos in the courtyard.

I am from homemade togas and the Friday night lights of my high school stadium.

I am from navy and blue on my uniform and black lines under my eyes that stained my goggles.

I am from a floppy-haired boy that stole my heart junior year and for the rest of eternity.

I am from caps thrown and diplomas received inside the gymnasium because it was raining.

I am from tear drops on my Dorman t-shirt as I watched my mom pull away from my residence hall.

I am from grass stains splattering my white college uniform because the girls pushed a lot harder.

I am from my words.

I am from Garnet and Black Country because sometimes transition is the best choice.

I am from the foot of the cross because that is where my sins were forgiven.