Life and death are inevitable, but what matters is how you live in-between. As a new beginning sprouts into one part of the universe, a lifecycle ends in another. No matter how big or small, everything in the universe has a beginning. A new beginning creates a new life and every life has purpose. At times, we may think that we don’t fit in this world. It is easy for anyone to think that they don’t matter, but it is difficult to believe that they are important. Planets are born into a solar system just as a baby born into a family. Life is anywhere and everywhere no matter where we go. Someone or something cares about each organism whether it is a mama bear to her cubs or the wind carrying seeds. The web of life is cosmic and infinite, but every start has a finish line and the race is nearly never fair. Before the race starts the odds might be stacked against us. When we look around to see who you’re racing against, Usain Bolt may be on your left and the Flash may be on your right. We may be the underdog or we may be favored to win the race. We may get injured along the way and have to stop early but none of that matters. It is about how we run the race. Do we have more left in us? How did we respond to failure? Did we truly give it your all? Throughout the entire semester our class read a variety of novels ranging from poetry to a play, discussing the atrocities of a hate crime in the small town of Laramie, Wyoming. One of the reading selections focused on a young adult named Matthew Shepard. His life was ended prematurely because of hate and prejudice. This was not the first time prejudice affected the lives of others in the novels our class has read. The brilliant author Julie Otsuka conveys a similar theme in her book, When Emperor Was Devine. She tells the true story of thousands of Japanese Americans living in the United States after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Japanese Americans were unethically forced into internment camps across the nation and persecuted. The novel follows the life of a girl who is confused about her identity and struggles with resentment against her own culture and family. In one instance, her mother tries to soothe her. While verbally resists, she does not push her mother away when she gently places her hand on her daughter to console her. “Don't touch me," said the girl. "I want to be sick by myself." "That's impossible," said her mother. She continued