In front of me, trees surround a small lake. A log home peeks through the trees overlooking the lake. It appears to be the only house on the lake. I see a swan swimming peacefully across the water and a few ducks playing in the lily pads. The lake reminds me of any other lake, yet I still enjoy it. The grass and weeds around me are still damp of the morning dew. I spot a maple tree close to the water that looks to have fairly dry ground, a perfect spot for me to sit and write.

As I sit on the ground, the lake is no longer the center of attention, but instead the background. I can no longer see much of the water, the ducks, the swan, or the lily pads. My vision of the lake is being blurred by the plant in front of me. Cattails.

I hadn’t walked all this way to look at cattails; I came to see the lake.

I believe one human tendency is to always look for more or to desire more. Whether it be money, material things, or status. But why? Why do we always look for more, instead of looking at what we already have? Why can’t we see what is right in front of us? Why can’t we be satisfied? These are many questions that pop into my mind. I believe too many people in today’s world think that if they have the next best thing, they will be happier. This causes humans to overlook what they already have. In my opinion, if humans live like this, they will never be satisfied. It’s a never ending cycle. Once one desire is satisfied, another desire takes its place.

Settling for something less than what I want is a part of life. Even though I may not deserve it, it’s still going to happen. I have worked so hard in all of my sports, but still have ended up short many times. I have missed going to state cross country by a point, lost two championship softball games to go to state, and a championship match in tennis. This hasn’t defined me, or stopped me from working my hardest. It has motivated me. Through all of those losses, I have still found things to be proud of.

Failing to focus on the lake, the cattails become my center of attention. As I stare for a long while at the plants, I learn to appreciate the importance of cattails. They have specific roles in nature, and without them many species may not survive. I begin to find cattails to be beautiful in their own way because of the things they provide. They help to create the beauty of lakes by giving a source of food and shelter for the species seen on and around lakes. I never realized such a little thing, a cattail, could help to create the beautiful lake I had come to see. I realized that I should never overlook cattails because they are an important part of a lake’s ecosystem.

I have never experienced what it’s like to not have food on my table, a house to live in, clean clothes on my back, or a family to support me. I am very fortunate for that. While I appreciate these things, I also take them for granted. I find these necessities to be very “small” and tend to overlook them, but in reality they’re vital for life. These things that I tend to overlook have helped to create the person I am, today.

A few years ago I went on a mission trip to Hollywood, California. This trip made me realize how lucky I am. I no longer look over these “small” things because there are people in this world that don’t have anything. I interacted with many homeless people while in Hollywood. They had absolutely nothing, yet some of them were the happiest people I’ve ever met. The homeless people I met in Hollywood weren’t looking to the future; they were looking to survive right now. They praised the food that entered their mouths, the bridges they slept under, and the interaction they had with me and the other youth members.

This experience changed me and made me realize that in life, I need to be grateful for both the small things and the big things. A small thing to me, like a bed, might not be so small to someone else. In reality, my bed is very important. It keeps me warm, and without it, I would be sore from the hard ground. I no longer look at someone and wish I had their shoes or their jacket. Instead, I appreciate my own shoes and my own jacket.

Before leaving the lake, I take one last look. The trees look to be dressed in assorted colors of red, orange, yellow, green, and brown. I notice all the leaves that have already fallen and admire how unique each and every leaf is. No two leaves are exactly the same, just like no two humans are exactly the same. I can feel the breeze as it pushes the water across the lake creating little riplets. The sun’s reflection off the lake causes the water to sparkle. I hear the birds around me writing a song. The rhythm of their music seems to match with the rhythm of my heart beat. The smells of the lake, trees, and grass is refreshing. These smells awaken me for the rest of my day. Lastly, I see the cattails with their long stems and leaves acting as protection for the lake.