“So, this is my life. And I want you to know that I am both happy and sad and I’m still trying to figure out how that could be.” – says Charlie. In my life, I have had my fair share of insecurities and troubles, people and problems that made me feel both insignificant and alone. I encountered many of the problems that some would call a “normal” part of growing up, but I felt completely foreign and bizarre. For quite some time, I felt like I was alone in the world, and no one would understand what I was going through. Then one day I picked up a copy of The Perks of Being a Wallflower. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I gave it a try. By the time I shut the cover, my eyes were full of tears. I realized that this book’s main character, Charlie, had taught me several important lessons.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower chronicles Charlie’s freshman year of high school through a series of funny, but often disturbing, letters. Throughout the story, Charlie grows in many ways and learns numerous lessons. In my opinion, one of Charlie’s greatest characteristics is that he possesses the rare ability to be a “wallflower.” He can listen and observe without bringing any attention onto himself. I find that very admirable. I have always tried to be in the spotlight of everything. Every conversation I had revolved around me. If my friends were gathered in a circle, I was right in the middle. I thought that if I did this, people would see me as confident and strong. Overtime, I became vain and selfish; my friends knew everything about me, and I knew nothing about them. Charlie showed me that sometimes it’s okay to just listen. I don’t always have to put my two cents in. By shutting my mouth and listening, I cannot only strengthen my friendships but also my character.

“I think that if I ever have kids, and they are upset, I won’t tell them that people are starving in China or anything like that. Because it wouldn’t change the fact that they were upset. And even if somebody else has it much worse, that doesn’t change the fact that you have what you have. Good and bad.” In eighth grade, I went through a particularly ugly patch in my life. I hit a very low point. And as a result, I did some things that I am not proud of. Because of my mistakes I have suffered, and I have made those closest to me suffer. But I didn’t share my struggles with anyone. I told myself that my problems weren’t big enough for others to care, and that people endured problems more terrible than mine every day. So why should anyone care? But Charlie made me stop and think. He helped me to understand that it doesn’t matter how “big” a problem is, it’s still a problem that needs to be addressed.

Charlie lived a pretty atrocious life. He went through just about every terrible thing possible. But the thing that I admire most about Charlie is that, throughout all of his horrific experiences, he never asks “why me?” “I guess we are who we are for a lot of reasons. And maybe we’ll never know most of them. But even if we don’t have the power to choose where we come from, we can still choose where we go from there.”
Charlie accepts his life and tries to make the most of what he is given. Not only that, but Charlie always stays hopeful of a brighter future. “Please believe that things are good for me, and even when they are not, they will be soon enough.” It amazes me how, without faith in God, Charlie can be so trusting and understanding.

For me, it is a daily struggle to look with hope towards the future and what it holds, but I am always reminded of Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all you heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” God showed me that he will pick me up when I fall, and lead me in the right direction. His Grace is certain and all I need. When I stumble, God forgives me, not condemns me. He shows me the path to freedom and forgiveness. Deuteronomy 31:6 says, “ Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” I am so happy to know that I have someone to look to in both good times and bad. Someone who will love me no matter what I do.

Although there are so many wonderful things to be taken from this book, I feel that there is so much missing. It depresses me to think of how many children, like Charlie, suffer daily without any hope of God. The one thing that kept me grounded through all my mistakes and issues was my faith; I can’t imagine even a single day without my Savior. This title not only taught me about myself, but it also inspired me to share my hope with those around me.