Sarah had just graduated from a very prestigious college a year ago and was very lucky to get hired as soon as she came out. Every day was practically the same: wake up early to get to work, get stuck in traffic, work until 5:00p.m., go home, and get ready for bed. Sarah was expecting this day to be like any other. Little did she know, something was waiting for her at the office.
“Sarah, come with me to my office,” said Mr. Johnson, Sarah’s manager.
“Amazing! Now, unless if you need something else, you may leave.”
Sarah was born on a farm, meaning her parents weren’t wealthy. They couldn’t afford proper education for Sarah. Since she was young, Sarah detested the life she had. Why can’t I get all the toys I want? [Fixed—it’s her own thought, so it stays in “I.” Good.]Why do I have to help milk the cow or plant the vegetables? All this dirt and mud and farming disgusts me! However, despite her environment, Sarah was very gifted and learned quickly. She was mainly homeschooled, but her parents saved up enough to send her to high school. After that, Sarah liked the city life more and dreaded the farm life. So, when her college acceptance letter came, Sarah packed her bags and never looked back. Now, she had to go back to the farm to get resources to write a speech for the next meeting. Ugh…why do I have to do this?
Sarah looked around and saw only endless fields. She could smell the dusty yet sweet scent of hay mixed with the aroma of freshly dug soil. Suddenly, a memory resurfaced although she couldn’t quite place her finger on it. She looked at the fields one last time and walked inside their house.
After Sarah settled down in her old room, she walked around it like a stranger. She saw books piled neatly on her desk and old trophies collecting dust on the shelves. However, she didn’t remember it at all. All she knew was that, in her youth, every night as Sarah laid in bed, she would think about her future and cry into her pillow about the world’s unfairness. Her room was the only place Sarah felt safe to confide in. Then, she noticed a small dusty brown box at the top of her wardrobe, labeled “ Memories”. Hmm… I think that would be useful for the presentation. So, Sarah jumped up, took the box, and opened it. As she looked inside it, tears started flowing down. She realized she had forgotten all the happy moments she had on the farm, focusing only on the negativity. Sarah felt really guilty about ignoring her parents all these years. Suddenly, Sarah rushed downstairs and hugged her mom and dad tightly, saying “Oh, I love you all so much!” It turns out that inside the box was her old diary with entries where Sarah wrote, “I’m so grateful for everything mom and dad did for me. I don’t really like the farm life, but they always do everything they can to make me happy!” Sarah realized that although her life on the farm wasn’t perfect and you couldn’t always get what you wanted, what truly mattered was who was with her.