Branches Book

BRANCHES

common threads within humanity that anyone can relate to. Hearing other people’s stories, even if they’re completely fictitious, makes everyone a bit more compassionate. This is why I chose to write about something very universal: family. In 10th grade I took a creative writing class and for one of my projects I wrote a piece about a family coping with the loss of their mother post 9/11. This is the story I have decided to revise for my passion project. The story is told from the perspective of the youngest child of the family, Tessa, and switches from 2001 to present day. I am fascinated by how the past affects the present, specifically in terms of family dynamics. The TV show This is Us does a great job of portraying this same concept and serves as a large part of my inspiration for the piece. Each family is very unique and the relationships within a family are complex. My intention with this piece is to explore these relationships in the face of tragedy. My hope is that people walk away from the story and reflect on their own family lives. Do the people most important to you know how much they mean to you? Being there for the people we love is the best thing we as humans can do.

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