2023—a happy year full of memories and smiles. When asked the question, “what would you put in a time capsule right now to represent your life?,” many ideas come to mind. One of the very first things that I would place in my time capsule would be my phone. Ring! Ring! Ring! One new notification from Snapchat. Buzz…Buzz…Buzz… uh, oh. It must be my mom calling. Ding! Ding! My aunt just facetimed me to tell me she is pregnant! In my opinion, phones are valuable. I use my phone to capture photos and memories with people I love, to show my experiences of places I go, and to document fun activities I do. Phones are like dog treats for humans. In response to completing something good, people want to go on their phones as a reward. I consider myself fortunate to live in a society where technology is prevalent because I'm not sure what I would do if I always had to contact my friends and family in person rather than over the phone. To keep all of my memories and images for all eternity, I would definitely place my phone in my time capsule.

The next item I would like to put into my time capsule would be my car keys.  My car keys represent my ability to go place to place, whenever I want, wherever I want. My car keys represent my independence of owning my own car and being able to do things on my own now. My car keys represent my responsibility like driving my brother around, arriving places on time and getting my own gas. When I was 14 and 15, all I ever thought about was how much I wanted to be able to drive. I felt young and naive and was jealous of my 16-year-old brother who had his license and who seemed to always be out of the house. I love my car so much and it has had a big impact on my life. Owning a car has opened up a great amount of opportunities for my growth of personal freedom. It is very rewarding to be able to drive around and do things on my own. Receiving my car keys was a big milestone in my life and I will forever be grateful to have a car. 

The last item I would bring in my time capsule would be my Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) name badge. My job has been a huge part of my life in 2023 and has led me to experiencing things that I never thought I would experience by the age of 17. This has taught me a wide spread of things. The number one idea I have learned as a CNA is to spend as much quality time with the elderly people in your life as possible. I can't begin to describe the happiness I see on the residents' faces when a relative calls or just visits them in person. Retirement in general and living in a nursing home can be very lonely. Frequently, the highlight of these people's weeks is catching a glimpse of their granddaughter or son through a window. Until it's too late, pay a visit to your loved ones. I value my job and want to remember how much time and effort I put into it. Therefore, I would put my CNA name badge into my time capsule.

Grateful. Grateful is a word that describes what I would feel if I opened my time capsule 10 years after making it. I am grateful for all of the opportunities I have in life as a 17-year-old living in 2023. From having my own phone to capture valuable moments of my life to my car keys showing my freedom and responsibility to my CNA badge that contains life changing experiences and learning curves. Now, I want you to think about the question. If you were to make a time capsule, what would you put in it?