“Goldfish Coupons and Forgotten Love” by Grace Coberly stood out to me in the October 2015 issue of Teen Ink. The piece was well written and eloquent, using a nostalgic childhood memory to convey an important message. The author writes about being at a fair and running into a childhood sweetheart from six years ago. She explains how she loved this boy dearly, as far as third-grade romance can go, but never got the chance to admit her feelings. Looking back, Coberly realizes she shouldn’t have waited to long to say what she had wanted to for so long. The wistful childhood flashback ends with the author moving on, gaining the wisdom that life doesn’t wait for anyone to prolong taking control of what one wants.

I was able to resonate with this meaningful piece, as I seem to put off many things in my life. It’s sometimes small things, like studying for a big test, but other times it’s big things like the author’s situation. However, all of these things apply to the author's quote, "'But don't wait too long. Those coupons expire.'" This beautiful conclusion mentions 'coupons,' being metaphorically for all aspects of life. I have a few regrets myself, annoyed that I didn’t say, try, or do something. It sounds a bit far-fetched, but it truly is better to regret the things that you’ve done (for the most part!), then regret the things that you haven’t. “Goldfish Coupons and Forgotten Love” is an important reminder that if I want something at the moment, so I don’t have to ask myself ‘what-if,’ then I’d best be getting to it now.