"Push" Reading about Precious Jones made me really appreciate everything I have - supporting family, good friends, an education and a promising future. I often take for granted the things I have in my life. I don't stop to think about how lucky I am to have a high school education or to be able to have the opportunity to obtain a college degree. I don't stop to think about how much my friends and family care about me and that I always have their help and support. It's things like this that get overlooked on a daily basis. After being exposed to the life of Precious Jones, I feel very fortunate to have all that I have. Precious had nothing - almost since the very beginning of her life. Her parents weren't mentally stable. She didn't have any positive influences in or out of school. Abuse was something she experienced nearly everyday and a low self-esteem followed her almost everywhere. Then, if her life wasn't difficult enough - she gets pregnant twice by her own father, whom also infects her with HIV. It was remarkable to see her overcome every obstacle that was thrown her way. After the amount of physical and mental abuse she was put through, she still had the desire to successfully raise her children, get a solid education and find a job that would enable her to be a more independent person. No matter how depressed and low she felt, she would always try to see the light at the end of the tunnel. She knew that she was meant to be someone special and there wasn't anything that could stop her from achieving her aspirations. I think about this story and how it is about this one girl and the many complications she was presented with throughout her life. Then I think about all the other people who may be out there experiencing the same situations. When you read a book like this you're hit with a sense of reality. You see that things really aren't perfect and that some people do in fact go through such events as rape, abuse, bullying, early pregnancy, incest, etc. This book has most definitely caused me to be more grateful for all that I have and to above all - value my education. If there is one thing I took most from Push it is that we shouldn't underestimate the power of education.