I have featured a few writing samples from my 12-year-old in the past, but my 9-year-old is also an aspiring young writer. Many of the baby’s writing projects have earned high marks this school year, most notibly, is an essay for her 4th grade speech contest. The essay is titled: I Believe in Confidence:

I Believe in Confidence

I believe in confidence. Confidence is the thought that you can do anything. It means you believe in yourself. You can also become confident if you think you can’t do something and someone else encourages you; you gain confidence to do something you thought wasn’t possible.

I learned my first lesson about confidence when I was only four. I was at Cinque Terre, the Italian Riviera.

My mom, sister, dad, and I were all hiking on a trail. My mom didn’t realize the trail would be so long, so she didn’t bring enough water. We finished all our water halfway through the trail. It was hot, dry, and we had already walked for about an hour. I was only four, so understandably, I was tired and thirsty. I started crying and whining, and refused to go any further. My mom seemed to think for a little bit. Then she said, “You’re doing a great job, and you’re only four! We should call you Natasha the Great Hiker!” Hmm… Natasha the Great Hiker… I liked the sound of it. Slowly a smile spread across my face. “Yeah!” I quickly agreed. “Who are you?” Mom asked. “Natasha the Great Hiker!” I answered with great pride. My mom and I chanted “Natasha the Great Hiker” over and over. I forgot all about being tired and thirsty and didn’t complain for the rest of the hike. I even got to lead our small group of four…

From that day on, my family still calls me “Natasha the Great Hiker.” When I think back on that day, it makes me feel silly, but I know I learned an important lesson that day. I learned that if you are encouraged you gain confidence, and when you are feeling confident, you can accomplish anything.

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