During the last week of my vacation in Mexico, I was sitting on a beach with only one book left to read. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to read it because it seemed like a pretty heavy book to read on vacation.
The book was called Th1rteen R3asons Why by Jay Asher. It’s about a girl named Hannah who made 13 tapes with 13 reasons of why she killed herself. She wanted the tapes to circulate through the 13 people who impacted her decision to take her own life.
The narrator of the book receives the tapes in the mail and as the reader, you know he isn’t the first one to get them, but you also know that he isn’t the last. Throughout listening to the tapes, you get to hear his reaction to the tapes and it really helps put some of what Hannah says in perspective by having the chance to hear two sides of the story.
While reading this book, I was reminded how our actions impact others more than we can possibly know.
I was reminded about how the smallest act of kindness can change someone’s day, and possibly give them one more reason to live another day. It reminded me of why I started volunteering with ConnecTeen in the first place, to reach out to someone when they need it most, and to be able to shine some light into someone’s life when they’re in a dark place.
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