Happiness Is The Key To Belonging

• Isabella Halliday, Grade 7
• Short Story
• 2016

Felling like you belong can sometimes be hard and doubtful, you feel like you’re supposed to be in another dimension but somehow your here.

My name is Olivia and I was born into a family of 10. I'm the middle so I don't really get noticed that much and feel very left out. I remember once I broke my leg and had to go to hospital. Mum came and the first thing she said was "Why did you have to go and break your leg for, I was planning a big holiday for us."
And since I did that they left me at home for 6 weeks while they went to England.

When they came back they didn't even say hello they just said to put the kettle on. I felt like I didn't belong in this world and that I didn't belong in this family. The only people that cared for me were Auntie Ginger and Father. And they would never give up on me.

Years past and I was ready for to graduate and obviously no one came except my father and Auntie.
A few weeks after my graduation I came home to see one less person sitting at the table.
Paul my twin brother handed me the phone as well as a envelop and said "Here it's for you read this after you have listened to what this man has to say"
“Hello” I say and gasp as I drop the phone and run to room crying. My father had just suffered from a heart attack.

I slam the door shut and flop on my bed while clenching my pillow as hard as possible and keep repeating to myself “no this can't be true.”
My Auntie comes in and gives me a big hug but reminds me of the letter that Paul gave me. As I rip off the top of the letter and unfold it, it says


Dear Olivia,
If you are reading this letter than this means that my time has come for me to leave this universe and move on to the next, I just wanted to let you know that I love you and I always will, never feel like you’re alone because you’re not, I will be watching over you as your guardian angel and I will always remember you as the child who never gave up and had understood the true meaning of love. And so I leave you with my life savings of
$15,000
Spend it wisely because these are my life savings since I was a we little lad.
Goodbye Olivia.
Love Father. 1945

I think to myself that there was actually someone who felt I belonged and there was some who loved me out there all along.
To belong doesn't mean that everyone has to like you, it's about you felling if you belong and witch I do now. I always stayed happy and never gave up. Belonging isn't the key to happiness.

Happiness is the key to belonging.

To be happy means that you feel safe and loved and that's how I feel now.

Don't miss the little things in life about love because you won't discover it until it's too late.