Welcome to our first Mini Beats collection of the year! 

For the Mini Beats November prompt, we asked our readers: 

In 100 words or less, tell us a story from your own life about a time you gained an appreciation for something.  

We received lovely submissions that were thoughtful and generous in their responses, crafting wonderful stories within such a tiny word limit.

So, here are the responses we, the editors of The Beacon Beat, chose that we felt best exemplified in November’s prompt. 

However, before we share November’s Mini Beats, here is the prompt for December. December is a month of such joy, a reflection on all the months of 2022, that we are giving our readers not one but two prompts to respond to. 

Prompt One: In 100 words or less, tell us about your favorite holiday tradition.

or 

Prompt Two:  In 100 words or less, create a holiday you wish we could celebrate.

You can submit your story through this Google Form and include a picture that matches your experience. Submissions close on December 30th. 

Now, without further ado, here are the Mini Beats for November.

I recently went for a walk in the rain. 

I left pensive and pessimistic and returned smiling and sated. 

Nowadays, I spend so much time walking with direction that I’ve forgotten to enjoy the little things. When everything felt muddled, letting curiosity filter back like sunshine through scaffolding was exuberant.

I haven’t gone out and enjoyed a rainy day in so long, because I tell myself that it’s gonna be cold and wet and gray. In reality, the cold is bracing, the rain creates reflections of the sky, and the gray allows me to be colorful just by being myself. — Evan Thurman, 12th grade

You came into my life very unexpectedly and it was so comforting to realize how much I needed someone like you in my life. 

Your presence filled up the black hole in my heart that he broke a long time ago. I never lied about loving you. I miss laughing. Whenever I ¨laugh¨ with my new friends, I think of you. I miss you, sweetheart. You will always be mine even if you don’t consider me as yours. Thank you for everything. I can never stop loving you. Although nothing will be the same, my memories of you stay pure. — Elisa Quezada, 10th grade 

A World of Books

Rory Gilmore says in her graduation speech that she lives in two worlds– one of reality, and one of fiction. I wonder who doesn’t. The stories of Tom Sawyer and Anne Shirley came to life as my mother read me a single chapter before falling asleep. Now it’s the stories of Henry Winters and Maria Wyeth which enliven after I put down the last page. Of course– like Rory– I love my real world. But, when reality moves too slowly or comes at me too quickly, I can rest easy knowing my second world will always keep me company. — Anna Mintzer, 12th grade 

The summer of 2020 I gained a reinforced appreciation for writing just for the fun of it. 

In August of that year a friend came to stay with me for about a week and we spent every night up late listening to music and immersed in our laptops. We were both writing stories, building worlds, and dreaming up characters. It was usually quiet unless one of us got very excited about a thought and just had to share it as it spilled onto the page. Those nights and those stories reminded me how fun writing could be without further expectations. — Cali Carrs, 12th grade

Thank you to everyone who submitted a Mini Beats for November. For December prompts, remember that Mini Beats is modeled after the Tiny Love Stories of the New York Times, so if you are having trouble brainstorming what your story should look like, feel free to read some Tiny Love Stories here. 

Here is the form for December Mini Beats  and we can’t wait to read your stories. Submissions close on December 30th.