Likes on your Instagram picture, retweets on Twitter, how many streaks you have on Snapchat–all things that society say matter.

But do they, in the grand scheme of things, truly matter?

For a while, I focused on these things, letting them control my emotions and how I felt about myself. I was consumed by the desire for more likes, and I let Snapchat streaks determine whether or not I was friends with that person.

Around a year ago, that changed for me, though. I found something that truly mattered to me and let it lead me to bigger and better things than likes.

I decided to start writing down my feelings, first just to myself and later joining The Prowl staff as an outlet for my writing. When I started writing, it became my way of dealing with how I felt, the things going through my mind that a lot of the time I didn’t even understand. Writing helped, and is still helping, me deal with feelings that I try to push away and ignore.

However, the moment it truly started to matter was when my grandpa, Pop-Pop, started telling me about his writing career.

My grandpa was the editor of The Piper at Dunedin High School in Florida in 1962, and when he realized my love for writing, he began to share stories of him, many years ago, writing on his school’s paper. He sent me a letter, one of my most cherished items now, of his staff with a note: “G.B.- I thought you’d like this! I loved to write like you!! Love, Pop-Pop. XO”

Pop-Pop was the first person I called when I became the Editor of The Prowl. His excitement is what pushes me to keep writing now and make him proud as editor.

If there’s anything I’ve learned from my Pop-Pop, it’s that it doesn’t truly matter unless it brings you happiness without you even having to struggle for it. Writing isn’t something I thought I’d enjoy, especially writing about volleyball games and school events, but I’ve found so much happiness in writing for The Prowl. I’ve made some of my closest friends, much like my grandpa did making one of his fellow staff members the best man at his wedding.

My grandpa moved on from writing to do different things, but he’s pushed me to never give up even when it feels frustrating or like you have a million other things to do. He pushes me to keep growing and improving my writing, and I’m so thankful for that.

Writing is my thing that matters; what is yours? Find it and stay with it. Some may not understand or love it as much; they have their things that matter to them. Embrace your talents and the things that bring you happiness the most.