Every time I wear my bracelet it feels like a betrayal, even though it is meant to pull me closer to my culture, it does the exact opposite for me. I have a Chinese jade bracelet that was given to me at birth, the delicate Chinese writing engraved on the side and the cool jade color. I wear it on special occasions, and I have always wanted to know more about its significance to Chinese culture. I feel detached from a huge part about what makes me, me. My bracelet represents a part of me I have yet to discover and a part of me learning about my family's history.

The bracelet watches me from my jewelry box with a puzzled look as if finding me unrecognizable. I take the bracelet then pause, wondering if I should put it on or not. Hand hovering over the shiny jade, heart racing, mind wandering. "Do I even deserve this?" I wonder, maybe if I bridge the gap between me and my culture with knowledge and not material objects. The bracelet signifies my bond with my culture but without knowing my culture I cannot wear it. I think back on the stories my grandma used to tell me of great emperors and the beautiful monuments and nature. I finally realize that another person's story does not count as my own and I need to learn for myself.

I am currently taking French at school and every time I tell someone that they go "Oh really, I thought you took Chinese or Japanese or something". I felt that by hearing that it was wrong of me to turn away from the language of my culture. I felt even more disconnected, as if I didn't belong in my family. I realized how much I relied on other peoples' opinions and knew I had to put a stop to it. My journey is my own and I can choose my own destiny. I can choose when I learn more about my bracelet's significance and more about my culture. I choose now.

The Jade Bracelet

By: Lola

My Home

By: Caris

My home was not always a home. First it was a house, a building full of plaster, wood, paint and cement. Clean and new, without nicks, stains, or broken parts. We moved in our huge rug, fluffy blankets, desks, chairs, and trinkets, and this home was filled to the top with love and memories. A place of rest and fun, where I watched movies, did homework and hung out with friends.

I had woken up to my mellow yellow walls and my bright posters everyday for the past 14 years. My comfy chair that sat in the corner greeted me as soon as I walked in the door. Soon I would have to rewire my brain and learn how to live in a different room and house. It had become such a big part of my life, I realize, as I watched videos from when I was a baby in that same house.

Moving out is harder than you think, watching the big trucks come to take away your furniture and everything you hold dear. Touches of memories are scattered throughout the house, for example, the faded sharpie stains on the leg of our table from when I was a child. Or the tiny holes in the walls where we hung pictures and artwork, the door that sticks, and the too loud doorbell. All these things made our home, home, and without these touches of life it would be a house. While moving out all our furniture, tables, chairs, dressers, I watched our home slowly become a house. One by one, inch by inch, the home I grew up in and loved turned into a house.

Against the Current

By: Tiana

It was a beautiful Saturday morning in Hawaii, and the sun was shining in the bright sky. The ocean was calm, and the waves were small, which made for perfect paddling conditions. I was excited to participate in a paddling race that day, and my team and I had been preparing for weeks. I had trained hard and felt confident that we would do well. We began settling ourselves into our boat so we could begin paddling up to the start line. As we arrived at the starting line, we were anxiously staring at the guy in the escort boat holding the flags. Boom! The red flag went up, waving in the sky. Then the yellow flag, then the green flag, and we were off!

As the race began, I paddled hard and fast, trying to stay ahead of the other boats. As we paddled further out, we encountered some obstacles. The wind started to pick up, and the waves grew larger and more choppy. This made it very difficult for me to pull my blade through the water due to the resistance in the water. My teammates and I had to work even harder to keep our canoe moving at a good pace and a straight line by keeping our timing together and putting power into our strokes. Even though I was facing a lot of challenges, I never gave up because I knew what was in front of me and knew my teammates were going through the same thing but still pushing through. So I pushed myself harder than I thought was possible. I could feel the adrenaline pumping through my veins as I paddled with everything I had left. I was determined to finish the race, no matter what.

As we got closer to the finish line, the waves and wind backed down because we were now in the marina. I realized that we had more strength because there was no pressure from the water that was holding back our blades, so our paddles could fly smoothly through the water. This was our time to put in all the power we got and pass the two boats in front of us. Once all of our paddles synced together, our boat started flying through the water, passing the two boats that were in front of us. Boom! Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, we crossed the finish line placing first in our division.

I was very exhausted but also excited. I had done it! I had finished the race, despite all the challenges we faced along the way. As I looked back at the ocean, I realized that the challenges I faced during the race had only made me stronger. The key was not giving up and fighting till the end. I was so proud of my teammates and me for pushing through even if we like we were going to die. Even after that race, I was honestly pretty excited and ready to do another race.

Tick Tock

By: Caris

Table of Contents

Next Article

Authors Statement:

I Choose Now

The Jade Bracelet

My Home

Against the Current

Tick Tock

More articles from this publication:

Authors Statement:

The Soccer Game

Time is Almost Up

The Table

The Filthy Table

This article is from:

Vibrant Vignettes by Lola, Ellie, Caris, Tiana, and Bella