Jane Adams once said, “The good we secure for ourselves is precarious and uncertain until it is secured for all of us and incorporated into our common life.” When my mom first told me this quote I did not understand it, but as I have gotten older I not only understand it better I appreciate it more.

I understand Adams quote as meaning everyone counts or everyone should count in our community, our country and our world. Everyone should be treated equally no matter what his or her race, religion or sexual orientation is. People should be treated equally no matter how much money they have or how many possessions they own. I try hard everyday to remember how lucky I am to have good parents and family, a good home and a good school. I understand that this is not the case for everyone though.

The first time I really understood this is when I was six years old. I was shopping at Wal-Mart with my mom when I noticed a boy in the store who was about the same age as me. The first thing I noticed when I saw him was that he didn’t have any shoes on. He was also alone for the moment and looked very hungry because he was trying to open a bag of cookies. When I walked up to him I said “hi” and “are you alone?” He replied, “no,” and then ran to another isle. After that I went back to my mom and said that I wish that other people could have the same stuff as me if they already do not have it. I felt a little guilty for having so much when others had so little.

Now that I am fifteen years old I notice other things that we all need but may not all have. We all need equal opportunities for education. We all need access to healthcare. We all need food, clothing and shelter. We all need a community to support us and people to love us. I have learned that everyone counts. Anne Frank once said, “We all live with the objective of being happy, our lives are all different and yet the same.” I think everyone would be happier if we took the time to help each other. After all, everyone counts.