Dear Ishmael Beah,

The novel you wrote, Memoirs of a Boy Soldier, really hit a soft spot in my heart. Occasionally I hear about kids that are very young teenagers fighting in wars and it goes right over my head. It is astounding how much you went through and other kids your age went through. I am nineteen years old and I have a very difficult time imagining what it would be like to walk in your shoes. I couldn’t have grasped the emotional toll that you had to perceiver through as you lived your life during the war, if it wasn’t for your memoir. Thanks to your memoir you taught me to value each day of my life, to value my friends and family, and to count my blessings.
Throughout your story I learned one very important common theme that I’m going to try to carry forth into my life. I’m going to attempt to live each day to the fullest without looking ahead towards tomorrow. Truthfully this is a great way to look at the future, because at times we look ahead because what lies ahead of us often seems better. However, we don’t truly understand that some parts of the future won’t necessarily be what they appear to be. In your story I learned that the present always has the ability to shape the future in the best of ways and the worst of ways. This often happens when we least expect it too. The more we long for the future the more we push away our current lives. Another thought to be considered is that in the future we may long for the past because the future isn’t always what it’s made out to be. Ultimately, we need to focus on right now and live in the present. This is how you lived your life during the war and it paid dividends in the long run. You managed to survive this horrible war and in the process you had the opportunity to meet your uncle Tommy, you met Laura Simms and you moved to the United States. Thank you for teaching me to honor each day and live each day to the fullest!
From your memoir I also learned to value my friends and family. I learned to hold the ones that I truly love the closest to my heart. I was so sad when I read about the loss of your family. I was also truly saddened when I read about your uncle and close friends. I have begun to let my loved ones know how much I love them and I have also begun to let my friends know how much I care about them. I experienced this on a smaller scale with my grandfather. The day before he passed away he turned to me and he said, “I’ll see you next time.” I never truly grasped his words until now. For the past two months of his life when he was in the hospital I went to visit him every day. However, on the last night I saw him he said I’ll see you next time; not truly realizing it would be the last time I’d ever see him. I simply said, “I’ve got to get going, good bye...” To this day I’ve had to live with these words. Every day I wish that I would have simply told him that I loved, but I didn’t. In the end you helped me realize how important it is to say I love you to our family and respect the friends we have. Thank you for teaching me to value my friends and family and show them the respect we wish to receive in return!
While reading your story, I was truly startled by all of the horrific things you went through. I had a cousin who served two tours in Afghanistan, with the United States Army, and I’ve seen how it has affected him on certain occasions. He seems to be the same person as before for the most part, however when he entered the army he was already twenty-six-years-old. I feel that it is wrong that in some countries the children, such as yourself, were left with no option, but to enter the war. I am suddenly so much more thankful for people that sacrifice everything for the freedom of their country. These men and women should be respected to the utmost; if it wasn’t for their action who knows where their country would be today. You are truly a hero in every sense of the word. Not only did you survive the war, but you also took the time to write a book to inform others of your amazing story. I recognize that I don’t know you on a personal basis, but after reading about your past I feel as if I do. I am so happy that you were able to come to the United States and meet Laura Simms. This truly proves that in the end great things happen to great people. I am so happy that you were able to get out of the struggle you were going through in Sierra Leone.
Finally, I think it’s awesome that you are devoting your time to give speeches about your life and it’s wonderful that you took the time to write this novel to help spread your stories to kids like me. Thank You Ishmael Beah for showing me all the blessings I have in my life! I wish you the best of luck and God bless!