I was sobbing, the cry loud and pitiful in my ears. Arm aching and my pride tumbling to rock bottom, all I could do was cry.

I had just come back from the bathroom stalls, only to find an assignment awaiting upon my desk. I asked my classmates what was to be done, but they did not offer a clear explanation. So, being the overly confident 1st grader that I was, I went on ahead anyways, without asking the teacher instead. When the teacher finally came by to check on our work, she had found something wrong in mine and had looked furious. She then grabbed my arm, nails digging in painfully, and dragged me towards a chair in the corner. My tears weren’t from the pain, even if my arm was killing me, but from the humiliation I had received in front of my classmates. This ripped apart my self-esteem and almost thoroughly destroyed my trust in others.

Two years later, I found my cousin at the new school I had enrolled in. At first I was warry, for many of my friends before had broken my trust. But after he stood up for me when a bunch of bullies had stated pushing and teasing me, I decided to trust him. Since then, we have been practically inseparable. He made sure I did not give in to what other people said, for it does not matter what others think. It is only brief and an opinion, and certainly not true. What truly matters is yours, because what you think of yourself will stay with you forever. Thanks to my dearest cousin, I have overcome many things, and even tried harder at school. He gave me a whole different perspective of things, and I care very deeply for him.

He showed me that relying on others is not a weakness, but a strength. He helped me regain my self-esteem, and thanks to that, I enjoyed life more to the fullest. In the end, my cousin taught me to value myself and appreciate the way I am. He gave me a purpose. He gave me a new beginning.