I used to be a little girl with a big voice
In school I’d be the first to raise my hand and answer a teacher’s question
I’d be one of the loudest voices in the playground as we ran around playing hide and seek
Always energetic and excited for the day to come
The loud little girl suddenly became a little quieter
She no longer raised her hand or volunteered to speak
She didn’t run around, shouting and giggling with delight as she played with her friends
She became reserved and hid from just about everything and everyone
The little girl found herself struggling to speak
Her voice lost amongst a sea of others
Terrified to say something wrong or to sound silly
Every teacher commented:
“Oh how wonderful she’d be if she would just speak.”
Terrified and frozen as the words were caught in her throat
Slowly and steadily, after so many years
That same little girl found her voice again
Her friends and community helped her grow and see that she no longer needed to be so scared anymore
Now that same little girl found it in her to speak
and though she has plenty to learn and grow from
The silly little girl owes it to her friends and clubs for helping her all along
Annie Liang
Fundraising Chair
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