In the November issue of Teen Ink, the article “Who Am I?” really shook me. In 7th grade, I had a friend named Tyler. Tyler had a very difficult life, similar to the author, because his single mother couldn’t make enough money to properly take care of him and his sister. But as I became closer friends with him, I learned just how awful his life was. His stepdad disliked him with a passion and sexually abused his mother. His two cats were extremely aggressive towards him and he would often come to school with huge claw marks. His uncle and grandfather were addicted to several drugs. And to top it all off, he was bullied by the girls he thought were his friends. I remember telling my dad I didn’t believe in God because if he existed he wouldn’t let this happen.

“Who Am I?” impacted me because it gave me hope for Tyler. Whenever something bad happened, he would often cling to me for help. This story shows me that even though your life is rough, if you try hard enough you can become self-sufficient. It seems that Tyler is getting to where the author is. I remember in 7th grade having to share my glasses with him so he could see the blackboard. He finally has his own glasses, and combined with this story, he might finally see his light at the end of the tunnel.