Riley

"I used to think life would always feel like the hockey rink."

"Sadness taught me that not all emotions are bad."

"My core memories define who I am."

"Sometimes you need to fall apart to come back together."

"Keeping it together means letting some things fall apart."

"Technology connects us, but people are what matter."

"War between emotions inside us happens every day."

"Growing up means losing some innocence."

"My personality puzzle wasn't finished—it's still forming."

"Every memory, good or bad, makes me who I am."

"Bing Bong was imaginary, but the friendship was real."

"Sometimes the silly things are the most important."

"Being eleven is nothing like what I thought it would be."

"I thought I had life all figured out."

"Minnesota taught me to appreciate what I had."

"San Francisco scared me, but it changed me."

"My parents are trying their best, even when I can't see it."

"Laughter and tears aren't that far apart."

"Joy can't exist without the possibility of sadness."

"I needed my friends more than I was willing to admit."

"Speaking up is scarier than staying quiet."

"Colors fade, but memories last longer."

"Being honest is harder than being perfect."

"I'm learning that I don't have to have it all together."

"Tomorrow is a chance to be better than today."

"Mistakes aren't failures—they're lessons."

"I thought losing my innocence meant losing myself."

"Running toward something is easier than running away."

"The things that scare us most often matter the most."

"I don't need to be happy all the time to be okay."