I was asked a question a while back for a scholarship essay: Who am I?

It seemed like such a simple question, but it has become one of the hardest questions I’ve ever tried to answer.

The truth is, I know who I am today. At least, I think I do. But what about the future me? The version of myself I haven’t met yet. The woman I’ll become five, 10, or even 20 years from now. How would she describe me? Would she be proud of the choices I’m making today, or would she wish I had done things differently?

I know who I am right now.

I’m someone who has fought battles that most people don’t know about. But then again, I think everyone has their own battles that rarely make it into conversation. There was a time when I sat alone in my room wondering how to love myself when it felt like there wasn’t much love left to give. There were days when my headphones became my escape, allowing me to disappear into another world for three minutes at a time. They didn’t fix anything, but for those three minutes, life became a little quieter.

I’m also someone who loves deeply. Someone who would do almost anything for the people I care about. I’ve learned that strength isn’t always loud. Sometimes strength is getting through another day without anyone realizing how hard it was. Sometimes it’s waking up the next morning and choosing to keep going when giving up would be easier.

I’m someone who isn’t afraid to fight for what she wants, even if it scares her. Someone who finds comfort in reading, writing whenever life feels heavy, and simply having people by her side. Whether that companionship is emotional or mental, I know I wouldn’t be where I am today without it. The people who have walked into my life – whether for a season or for years – have shaped pieces of who I am. They helped build the person writing these words.

But I also understand that who I am today isn’t who I’ll always be.

The present is only temporary. It’s one chapter in a story that’s still being written. Every decision I make today becomes another piece of the person I’ll become tomorrow. That’s exciting, but if I’m being honest, it’s also terrifying.

As I write my last Viewpoint as a Great Bend Tribune employee, I find myself standing between what’s familiar and what’s next. This chapter is coming to an end, and another one is waiting to begin. I’m excited for what the future holds, but excitement and fear have a funny way of existing together.

I keep asking myself the same questions.

Will future me be happy with the life I’m creating today? Will she understand why I made the choices I did? Will she be proud that I kept going, even when I had no idea where the road was leading?

I don’t think anyone ever truly knows the answers.

Maybe that’s the point.

Maybe life isn’t about having every answer. Maybe it’s about trusting yourself enough to keep moving, even when the next chapter hasn’t been written yet.

So if future me ever reads this, I hope you found happiness. I hope you found peace. I hope you never stopped chasing the things that made your heart feel alive. I hope you continued to fight for the people you love, to write when life became overwhelming, and to find beauty in the smallest moments.

Most of all, I hope you’re proud of the girl sitting here today.

The one who didn’t have all the answers.

The one who was scared.

The one who chose to keep going anyway.

Abby Grasser recently graduated from Barton Community College while working part-time at the Great Bend Tribune and will soon leave to attend Fort Hays State University. Her email address is agrasser@gbtribune.com.