{"id":5108,"date":"2025-08-04T18:42:36","date_gmt":"2025-08-04T18:42:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.rutgers.edu\/writers-house-review\/?page_id=5108"},"modified":"2026-03-04T20:25:55","modified_gmt":"2026-03-04T20:25:55","slug":"what-ive-learned","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/sites.rutgers.edu\/writers-house-review\/vol-6-winter-2025-2027\/what-ive-learned\/","title":{"rendered":"What I’ve Learned"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Natalia Ayala<\/em><\/h4>\n

 <\/p>\n

That heroes don\u2019t always wear capes.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0My t\u00edo saves lives not with powers but a badge.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

That beauty is not what\u2019s reflected in a mirror.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0I see it in my friend\u2019s patience and kindness as he tutors me in statistics.<\/span><\/p>\n

That there is nothing as contagious as laughter.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0We clumsily dance the bachata at our cousins’ quincea\u00f1era.<\/span><\/p>\n

That the underdogs can win.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Out of nowhere, my brother’s soccer team scores four goals in the second half.<\/span><\/p>\n

That the good guy can lose.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0My sister\u2019s softball team walks away from their championship in defeat.<\/span><\/p>\n

That the unknown can be an adventure.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0We travel aimlessly but excited through the winding roads of Orocovis.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

That everyone should follow their passions.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0I push myself in class every day to pursue a career in film.<\/span><\/p>\n

That family is everything, but friends can be more.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0I call my friend JP with tears in my eyes after a rough day.<\/span><\/p>\n

That I can be anything.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0My father travels between New York and Connecticut, ready to work hard so I can go to school.<\/span><\/p>\n

That no one is perfect.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0My favorite photo: my mom\u2019s hair wild as a bird’s nest, a smile as bright as the sun.<\/span><\/p>\n

That grief isn\u2019t linear.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Each time I watch a new film, I know that she would have sat by me, even if she hated it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

That to move forward does not mean to move on.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0As I continue to grow and learn, I feel her by my side every step of the way.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

That people come and people go, but they’re never forgotten.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0We talk about the moments when she would pull everyone onto the dance floor.<\/span><\/p>\n

That I am not alone.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0I stand alongside my family, t\u00edos, t\u00edas, and friends.<\/span><\/p>\n

That I will be okay.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0My mother told me so.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n

Natalia Ayala<\/strong> is from Ridgefield, Connecticut, and is expected to graduate in May 2027 as a cinema studies major. In her free time, she loves writing very short stories, watching films with family and friends, and baking when she has the time. This poem was inspired by her mother who passed away in November 2023. She writes, “Her life lessons will always guide me.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Natalia Ayala   That heroes don\u2019t always wear capes. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0My t\u00edo saves lives not with powers but a badge.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 That beauty is not what\u2019s reflected in a mirror. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0I see … Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2513,"featured_media":0,"parent":5102,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-5108","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nWhat I've Learned - Writers House Review<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/sites.rutgers.edu\/writers-house-review\/vol-6-winter-2025-2027\/what-ive-learned\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"What I've Learned - 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