Finally Seen

by Kelly Yang

But the thing about some feelings is… they just won’t go away. Instead, they form a tight ball at the base of my throat. Where they sit and they wait, planning their escape from the thread. And one day, just when you least expect it, they shoot out like a rocket.

And with that, I chose my future over my past.

Lina, Lina left behind. Out of sight, out of mind! She’s such a bore, even her parents don’t want her anymore!

“It means your blood is made of iron will and determination. Your backbone is built from the sacrifices and impossible decisions of all those who walked before you. You have a duty to them to protect your heart. Never let yourself be treated that way, over ice cream. It isn’t worth it. You understand?”

I may be new to America, but I’m not new to lunch.

BOOKS ARE SLIDING DOORS AND MIRRORS!

A professor of mine once told me a mistake is progress you can’t see. Every time you make a mistake, you’re learning. You’re growing. And if you want to find a new path, you’ve got to be willing to make lots of mistakes.”

feel my whole body relax at being understood. A great book says all the words for you that you’ve been holding in, all sewn up inside.

“Sometimes you just gotta be sad for a little while.”

If she stops for just a minute, the pain will yell louder than Pete.”

“There’s no set timeline for anything in life.”

Your dreams matter. You matter. Never forget that.”

There is freedom in truth. Yes, there is pain. But there is also joy. The joy of not being afraid to talk about it… the courage to not erase it.

“I used to think different was bad,” Carla says, putting her head on my shoulder. “But now I think, maybe different can be good, too.”

You’re the daughter of first-generation immigrants. Your blood is made of iron will and determination. Your backbone is built from the sacrifices and impossible decisions of all those who walked before you.

I remind myself that fear and courage are two sides of the same bath bomb.

Sometimes the truth is so powerful, it takes up all the air in the room.

thought that by avoiding certain hard topics with my daughter, I was shielding her. Now I realize it takes courage to admit I don’t have all the answers—none of us do. But if I’m afraid to have the conversations, if I’m afraid to read a children’s book… what possible hope do I have of giving her the courage to deal with life?”

For me, this book is mirror. For other kids, it is sliding door.” I turn to the audience. “A door to see real life.”

😭

That’s the thing about banning books—it only makes kids more curious.