After allowing my students to listen to their finale song for our end of the year dance show, I asked them this very simple question:

“What do you think it means to be human?”

I got so many beautiful responses, I wanted to share a few.

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“For life to break you apart and for you to build yourself back up… what it means to be human is to not hide yourself, but to embrace yourself.”

“To not be mistreated for what language you speak or which gender you like.”

“In a world like this, we need to be genuine and kind. We are surrounded by so many things like depression, self harm, sexual abuse, mental and emotional abuse — people are waiting for someone to care, but just don’t know how to ask for help.”

“To not judge others by their appearance. To not go against your morals. To follow your dreams and achieve your goals. Lastly, to always turn to God and follow Him in times of down.”

“Being human means being self aware of how you effect other’s lives.”

“To experience heartbreak and cry and have your best friend be there through it.”

“Being a good human means you don’t judge people for what they look like. A good human is someone that helps other people, not hurt them.”

“To be good, is to persevere and never give up.”

“A good human takes courage and confidence.”

“Being human means knowing that we’re not perfect and we all will make mistakes. We all have problems. We all have things happen to us. We may look different, we may love different, but we are all human. We have feelings and emotions. We all have scars, and that’s ok. We should grow from each other, learn from each other, and respect each other for who we are, disregarding what all else is in the way.”

“Being a good person isn’t only being respectful, or helping others. It’s also knowing that you aren’t alone in hard times — knowing you can always talk to someone who can help you, and you can always talk to someone and help them, too.”

“A person who is nice to everyone, who treats everyone equal.”

“Even though self care is vital, you should be mindful and compassionate to people who are weak financially, physically, or mentally. Take care and help others rise up.”

Kind of proud of these little minds.

Always share love. The more you give away, the more you feel.

Love, B. R. Banos