#14: I love you

We have most likely seen this scene multiple times: the teary-eyed actor walks onto stage to accept their Oscar. They then step up to the microphone to give a 2-minute speech thanking everyone for “all their help.” "It truly couldn’t have been possible without them” and whatnot. Like your standard Oscar-accepter, but WAY out of their league, I am going to make this my “It truly wouldn’t have been possible without them” speech.

 

To Anushree: my soulmate/sister-wife: It is no exaggeration that we have all had a difficult year – COVID, online school, sickness, social deprivation, etc. This patch in my life was like cloudy weather: no ray of sunlight would ever pass through. It was not until that fateful day in October 2020, that I finally felt the warmth of the sun again. My best friend, Anushree, had finally moved back to the USA after living in India for 2 years. I didn’t understand how important she was to me until she was back – I spent every possible day I could with her. If it weren’t for her, I would never have realized the importance of friendship and how it can bring you out from the depths of depression. So, thank you Anushree. Thank you for being the best sister-wife the world has ever seen.

 

To Vineet, my prodigy-of-a-brother (which I *KIND OF* appreciate: I’m sure having a role model is quite familiar to all of us. A role model is the type of person one looks up to, for all their qualities. From the very beginning of time, my role model has been my brother, Vineet. I used to hate the fact that he was so good at everything he took up – Chemistry, Math, Physics, Computer Science – he literally triple majored at Cornell University. Clearly, I felt threatened by his existence. It wasn’t until my sophomore year in Troy High, when I realized he is more than just a nerd who lives in my house occasionally. I give credit for my good grades in 10th grade to him. If it weren’t for him (and my dad) sitting with me as much as possible, reviewing AP Chemistry topics, I wouldn’t have survived the class at all. So, thank you Dada. Thank you for being the best brother and role model in the world.

 

To my lunch friend group (Marissa, Aishwarya, Ella, Mati, and Anushree) - my besties: Having a healthy friend group is something I hold very close. All these girls have always made me feel so special, regardless of if I was feeling down or not. I love spending time with these girls – even if it’s only for a small lunch hour every day. So, thank you, C-lunch besties. Thank you for being the best friend group I could ever ask for. I don’t deserve you guys and the love you give me.

 

To Parnika and Deepti – my rant buddies: I have always said that I can never be a therapist because I don’t enjoy listening to other people’s problems. That’s why I respect these two so much. Parnika and Deepti should be given so much credit for listening to me rant about EVERYTHING – from classes I hate, to crushes I can’t seem to control. So, thank you Parnika and Deepti. Thank you for being the greatest buddies ever and listening to my every problem.

To Leah - my English bestie: Leah, there are so many times where I literally do not understand anything in this class. Thanks to you, I have someone to do my homework with, yet make funny comments and have entertaining conversations with. I remember seeing you on the first day of school and thinking: "she seems like an incredible friend". I was 100% correct. So, thank you Leah Ostrowski. Thank you for this beautiful friendship we have.

 

To Angie – my diction bestie: If anyone reading this has walked into Mrs. Valentino’s class and seen the word “Diction” written on the board, it is 100% our fault. Angie and I tend to like annoying Mrs. Valentino and writing the word “diction” on the wall every day. It’s our form of propaganda, you see. Without proper diction, what’s the point of English? Anyways, Angie is more than just some girl who writes “diction” on the wall every day: she’s also one of my closest friends. Ever since the day I met her, I have loved her personality, her aura, especially her hair! So, thank you Angie. Thank you for being the best friend I could ever have (and for helping me spread diction propaganda).

 

To Mrs. Valentino – my amazing English teacher (NO I’M *mostly* NOT SUCKING UP): Regardless of my love for reading and analyzing, I have never been too strong when it comes to writing and language. I have been told many times that my writing is “just utter crap”. Before landing in Mrs. Valentino’s class, I didn’t believe I had writing prowess in the slightest. Over the last six months, though, I believe my writing has developed exponentially – and I have her (and Mr. Kisse ) to thank for that. Not only have my writing skills developed, but so have my analytical skills. Now, I happen to look at the smallest things and over analyze them to the maximum. It gives me quite the self-esteem boost! More than just class-related things, though, I also have Mrs. Valentino to thank for her warmth as a teacher. 6 years ago, my brother (the prodigy, hmph) had her as a teacher. I believed that my sole goal in her class was to maybe measure up to the writer my brother was. But this took quite the toll on me. So much so, that I even wrote Mrs. Valentino a letter, asking her if I was capable enough to even be in her class. She then proceeded to write me a letter back, saying “Keep trying and putting in the work and it will pay off. Try not to think of your grade (I know it's impossible), but instead try to think about how you can learn. As a learner, there is a lot to discover all the time”. Thanks to this, I began to have a different outlook on my presence in the class. To this day, I believe I have what it takes to be a good writer – and I will put in all the effort it takes to do that. So, thank you Mrs. Valentino. Thank you for being a teacher that has believed in me from the very beginning, regardless of where I began.

 

Finally, to my wonderful parents: You guys have believed in me from the start. Till present, I have run through multiple obstacles – from bad grades, to anxiety, to self-esteem issues. It is one thing, being a parent. It is a completely other thing, though, being a good parent. Mom and dad, you are not good parents. You are the best parents – ones I truly do not deserve. You two pushed me to the ends of the Earth to get me to move just a centimeter. You two put in hours and hours of work a day to give me a life you want me to live. You two walked so I could run, as Gen-Z would say. And for all this, I will forever be grateful. You brought me up with morals and values that I will carry on through further generations. If one day I end up with a child of my own, I will first teach them everything you have taught me. I could go on for hours typing out everything I love about you, but I think I would lose viewer retention on my blog post. So, I will say just this: if I end up being even a fraction of what you are, I will consider myself completely successful in this lifetime. So, thank you Mom and Dad. Thank you for… everything.

Ta-da! This was my “It truly wouldn’t have been possible without them” speech. I haven’t even thanked everyone that deserves it and for that, I feel so terribly sorry. Thank you, though, even if you have talked to me once. Every conversation I have had with you has meant the world. So, thank you. Thank you for being someone that has had an impact on my life. I will never forget you.