As I stand on the edge of graduation looking out at the future, I feel excited and scared at the same time. Because it makes me think about what peace means to me. 

For a time peace was just a word I read in books or heard in prayers. Now that I am about to enter the real world I realize that peace is not just the absence of fighting. It is something we have to work for every day. It takes courage to be able to understand others and be smart about things.

We find it in the moments when we understand each other when we listen to people who disagree with us without getting angry and when we work together to make sure everyone feels safe. We live in a world that often values loud opinions over thoughtful ones and quick reactions over taking the time to think. We are surrounded by problems in the world and disagreements online which can make peace seem like an impossible dream.

I believe that peace starts with each person. It is something we have to practice every day. It is choosing to find ground with others even when it is hard. It is understanding that what happens to the people around me affects me too. 

As my friends and I go our own ways we have a big responsibility to help create peace. We have to choose to talk to each other by dividing into groups and to care about each other instead of not caring. Peace is not something we can just reach and then stop. It is something we have to work on every day. It is the most important thing we will ever do. As we leave our school I hope we do not just try to be successful. That we try to be the calm and steady people who make the world a little more peaceful one small step, at a time.