Every second, I miss my childhood. Those days were the purest and sweetest moments of my life. Especially, the moments spent with my father – they are the most precious treasures engraved in my memory. Every father loves his child, but my father gave me more love than I could ever ask for. Perhaps that is why I have never envied anyone else's parents. I was born in a small, remote place. My family was not wealthy, yet my parents never let me feel the burden of financial struggles. From kindergarten to university, they always invested in my education. They never had the chance to study at a university, but life itself had taught them many valuable lessons. Maybe that's why, despite all the hardships, they provided me with every opportunity to pursue my dreams. I still remember the "Best Girls" contest at my kindergarten. My mother took me to a beauty salon, dressed me in the most beautiful dress she could find, and made sure I had the best breakfast before sending me off. My father, as always, was my biggest supporter. That day, I did not win first place. But my father, not wanting to see me disappointed, asked the organizers to add an extra nomination so that I wouldn't feel left out. That's how I received the title of “The Most Graceful Girl”. At that time, it seemed like a small victory, but now I understand that the real treasure was not the award itself, but the love and support of my parents. My father didn't just give me love; he also taught me life lessons. There was a contest where I had to cook a dish. My father sat with me and patiently taught me how to make the perfect samsa (a traditional pastry). I thought he was preparing me for a competition, but in reality, he was preparing me for life. My mother, on the other hand, introduced me to the world of music. When she took me to my first piano class, she saw the excitement in my eyes. Years later, when my teacher selected me to represent our country in an international music competition, my mother's joy was boundless. As I boarded the plane to Baku for the contest, my parents proudly said, "Our daughter is flying on a plane for the first time! Our daughter is traveling to another country!". When I returned, they welcomed me at the airport with open arms, and at that moment, I realized: home is not a place, it's the warmth of the people who love you. Since childhood, I have been struggling with strabismus. In school, on the streets, even in extracurricular activities, my peers sometimes laughed at me. At first, I ignored it. But as time passed, it started to eat away at me. One day, I came home crying and asked my mother: "Why did you give birth to me?" I saw my mother's heart break in that instant. She had fought for me since the day I was born, staying up countless nights to take care of me, ensuring that I had a chance to live. We visited doctors, searched for treatments, but most of them simply said, "There is no cure." This struggle distanced me from myself. I isolated myself from society, avoided conversations, and started creating imaginary scenarios in my mind. I stared at my reflection in the mirror, trying to understand myself. I wrote letters that would never be sent, poems that would never be read. I was losing myself. One day, after a long night of tears, I poured my heart out to my father. He hugged me tightly and said: "Suffering is a fate written in your veins. No matter how painful it seems, find joy within it. Let your unhealed wounds bloom with flowers. And always remember, we love you in every way, in every condition. No matter what happens, we will always be by your side. Never think otherwise." Something changed within me after hearing those words. Maybe not in a single day, but over time, I started seeing life differently. Now, I understand – the unconditional love of my parents is the greatest wealth one can ever have. They never expected me to win; they loved me simply because I existed. No matter how old I become, they still see the little girl in me and kiss my forehead with the same tenderness. And now, I know: this is true happiness. This is a miracle given only to the lucky ones. Dear girls, dear people with disabilities, dear souls who criticize themselves too much, You are loved. You are precious. There are people in this world who love you simply for being you. The hardships in our lives are not meant to break us, but to reveal our true strength. Never think you do not belong. Because you are amazing, unique, valuable, and deeply loved. With all my love, Just Bonu.

While most students were traveling the world or enjoying their time off from school during summer vacation, I was at home. Sitting in my room with the curtains closed, frequently refreshing my phone in hopes of seeing my schedule for the upcoming school year. I sighed and picked up a glass of orange juice to try and settle my nerves, praying that I wouldn't have the misfortune of getting the toughest teacher in my school: Mr. Smith. Throughout the previous school year, my older sister would come home every day and attempt to frighten me with anecdotes about Mr. Smith's seemingly impossible history tests or endless amounts of homework. “So what?” I responded cockily, “I get far better grades than you, why should I worry?” She paused for a moment. “You might,” she said, leaning towards me menacingly, “But he requires every student to participate in class, or else he'll get super mad. And we all know how much you love using your voice.” I grimaced. She was right. I hated speaking up. From asking questions in class to even calling my grandma on the phone, I never had the courage to speak my mind because of the fear that I would say something wrong. And whenever I did try to raise my hand to answer a question, the butterflies in my stomach would take over, and the overwhelming feeling of nausea would force me to put my hand back down. And I despised myself because of it. The fact that I couldn't start conversations with people, or order food by myself, or tell people what I really thought about their new haircut. So when I refreshed my phone for the millionth time and saw that my period three history teacher was Mr. Smith, I dropped my glass of orange juice and screamed. What if he asks me a question? I thought while walking closer and closer to his classroom, Or makes everyone stand up and share something interesting about themselves? But before I could answer myself, I turned a corner and arrived at his classroom. I peered inside through the open doorway and saw twenty or so kids sitting straight up like statues, their visages completely void of any emotion except for fear. Their brightly colored outfits contradicted the concoction of angst and misery in their eyes, along with the dismal atmosphere of the room. Large, colorful flags drooped down the achromatic walls as if they were trying to cover up the bleakness of the room. I sneaked in, careful not to make any noise, and gently set my bag down next to a seat in the back of the class. Suddenly, the bell rang and Mr. Smith slowly prowled into class, his tall figure looming over all of us while he glared into each and every one of our faces, until he took a seat on a stool in the front of the class. He stayed quiet for a minute before talking about his class expectations. “This class will not be easy,” he said, still scrutinizing our frightened faces, “besides having difficult tests and homework assignments, I require every student to participate.” I sighed and waited for him to say more. “I understand that most of you are scared of speaking up, but I'd like of you to think of it this way. Your voice is the most powerful thing you will ever own, and if you don't use it, you're simply letting yourself down. Who cares if you're right or wrong? What matters is that you tried.” I froze. And in that moment I had an epiphany that changed my life for the better. He was right: what's wrong with being wrong? I was born with the most powerful weapon in the known universe and for the past fifteen years of my life I failed to take advantage of it. Whether it was expressing my political opinions or asking questions about biology or astronomy or literature, I never once used my voice without the fear of saying something wrong. I never once considered that my voice was a unique gift that should be heard. I never once stood up for the ideas that I believed in. I never once truly used my voice. “Hey, you in the back,” I heard Mr. Smith say, stirring me back to reality, “What rumors have you heard about me and my class?” I smiled and eagerly began sharing with the class the stories my sister told me about Mr. Smith's rigorous history class. During the course of that year, I debated whether his class was fitting for me. After all, staying up late studying history is not the most ideal way for me to spend my weekends. But after receiving one of the highest grades in his class from actively participating, I can say that his class was the most enlightening I'd ever participated in. He taught me that a person's voice is more powerful than any weapon or army on the planet, and to not use it is the greatest harm one can do to oneself. I was recently assigned a school project asking what -- in my opinion -- the worst disability is. Blindness? Paralysis? It took me a while, but speaking from experience, I can say with certainty that the worst disability would be to have a voice, but not the courage to use it.