For a few months now I've been wanting to get a tattoo on the inside of my bicep in my mother's handwriting. I want it to say "A Perfect Paper Airplane" and have a small outline of a paper airplane next to it. To some people, this might just sound like a random quote that makes no sense. This phrase is the very last line on the very last page of Ellen Hopkins' book "Perfect." While some book readers just see it as the last line, I've managed to read much farther into these four words.

Let me first give a brief summary of what happened in the end of "Impulse," the pairing book to "Perfect." Connor Sykes was admitted into a psychiatric rehabilitation center after he tried to kill himself with a bullet to the chest. He came from a "perfect" family with parents that tried extremely hard to uphold their image and reputation in society. They could not have shown less interest when their son tried to commit suicide, they only wanted him to be the best, nothing else. While in rehab Connor eventually stopped taking his medications, and when all the patients went on a nature retreat, things went wrong. Connor got a letter from his parents that said nothing about how they hoped he was getting better or even a pretend "we love you." It was all about how he should try to keep up on his school work so that he can go to college on time and how his twin sister got accepted into college. He took that letter and made a perfectly folded paper airplane and let it fly before jumping off a cliff to his death (Hopkins' books tend be a bit dark).

Now at the end of the book "Perfect," two of Connor's friends give his sister something of his, "... a perfect paper airplane." To me this is a reminder, even though we shouldn't need one, to be kind and not make degrading comments to people. Even if they might not seem to be harsh comments to you, they might be to the person you're talking to. You have to be careful in what you say. Connor's parents had no idea how their words were affecting their son (even though they probably should have). You can't always know what is going on in someone's life. Your one comment could change their entire day, whether you know it or not. If its a kind comment, it could help make them happier for the rest of the day. I know when someone has told me they like my outfit when I felt iffy about it, it makes me feel more confident. It works in the opposite as well. What if you make a small comment about someone looking tired it could exaggerate their depression, which is why they look tired in the first place. You might not know they are depressed and you could have potentially just added on to how they feel.

My point is try your best to be kind to people. If you see someone walking by and you like their hairstyle or the outfit, tell them. It could lift their spirits. It could give them that confident boost that they might have been looking for! We always need more kindness in the world, there can never be too much.