Ocean Breeze

Passion, forgiveness and love emphasize important emotions in human life. As human beings romance is a major aspect of life. Personal romance as well and watching others romance in movies, television shows, and novels is loved by millions worldwide. I love reading a classic love story because these novels are light, happy reads that always make me smile. Personally my favorite romance novel author is Nicholas Sparks. Nicholas Sparks is an exceptional author and multiple of his novels have been made into successful motion pictures. The last current Nicholas Sparks novel I have read was Dear John, which was just released in theatres as a motion picture in 2010. Dear John was extremely well written along with addicting and heart-wrenching. I would recommend not only Dear John but also all other Nicholas Sparks novels.

All individuals deal with individuality and discovering self in different stages and ways. John’s character in this novel portrays a youth struggling with finding a path in life. I honestly can say I do not know exactly where my path in life will take me and my path will differ from every other individual in life. I have ideas and plans for my future and I may not know exact details but I do have a basic plan. John did not even have a basic plan, John was just going through life with no meaning, drinking and partying without a care in the world. John joins the army in order to make a meaning in his life and this story shows the drastic life change John went through. Savannah being the other main character does not struggle with the self search to the extent of John. Savannah has strong values and beliefs and lives her life according to her morals not caring how others looked at her. The two characters are extremely opposite characters and I personally loved analyzing the two lives.

John and Savannah meet and fall madly in love with one another. I find it so fascinating how two individuals, completely different can connect at such an insanely deep level. Nicholas Sparks does not just write a typical love story but throws depth, pain, and hardships in his writing. In this novel John is in war while Savannah is home going to university. The struggle between keeping love alive is so hard but letters and phone calls are all Savannah and John have. Complications occur and this novel kept me glued to the words. This novel causes readers to look at love in different perspectives. I loved how Dear John shows that true love is not all a fairytail ending but love is wanting happiness for another person before your own.

I have seen the motion picture, Dear John, and also enjoyed the movie. Novels always create more depth and meaning into a story which is why I would recommend reading this novel as well as seeing the movie. Comparing and contrasting the a novel and movie can help clarify questions and emphasize key messages. This novel was not just a surface story but portrayed a message and meaning. Life is not all happiness. Personally I have lost loved ones and dealt with pain proving to me life is not fair. Happiness differentiates between individuals and this novel showed me a different perspective of love and happiness in which I have never realized before.

Dear John is definitely a novel that I would recommend to all others. This novel is a romance novel with a classic love story but with depth and meaning. I almost get angry with romance novels where boy meets girl, falling in love and living happily ever after. This is a feel good, perfect love story but I know that life does not always work out and reality needs to be portrayed in novels. Nicholas Sparks in Dear John, creates a novel with romance but also demonstrates a honest life story. Dear John is a story that a reader can relate to or imagine as a real life scenario. I enjoyed reading Dear John and is a must read for all my friends and family.

Throughout history how human beings treat others has been a difficult problem. I have always been taught to treat others how I would like others to treat me and that all human beings are equal. Realities on earth including slavery, war and chimney sweeping are all human conditions that are not treating others with kindness, respect and equality. Chimney Sweepers are individuals who clean chimneys for a living. The conditions are horrific and workers are exposed to dangerous working conditions and diseases. This is not a problem that is as well known as war and slavery but needs to be stopped. To what extent do certain individuals need to be placed in unsafe working conditions and treated horribly before the world puts inequality to an end? Chimney sweeping needs to be put to an end and all human beings need to be treated equally.

The realities and reactions of child chimney sweeping are strongly expressed in the poems “ The Chimney Sweeper” by William Blake. William Blake wrote two poems titled “The Chimney Sweeper”, one published as songs of innocence and the other as songs of experience. The first poem classified in songs of innocence would be strongly supported by a romanticist. A romanticist values feelings, intuition, and individualism. Personally I agree that feelings, and intuition are more important then reason and logic. I try and make my choices based on how I feel on the inside over the logic of others. Honestly, I understand my perspective on life and ideas will change over time and maturity but currently my perspective is feelings, intuition and individualism are more important then reason and logic. In this first version of “The Chimney Sweeper”, a child chimney sweeper dreams that an angel releases all the chimney sweepers. The angel tells Tom that if Tom listens to demands asked of him on earth, afterlife will be wonderful. The boy chooses to be happy with his horrific reality as a chimney sweeper because of the realization of a happiness beyond his human form. Tom has decided to be happy and obey orders for the chance of happiness and love from God, his father, in his afterlife. I read this poem numerous times before I began to understand the meaning of the poem, and I reacted strongly to the message. A romanticist would support the ideas behind this version of the “ The Chimney Sweeper”. Tom did not choose happiness, obedience and love for God because of the way he was treated as a chimney sweeper. Tom is looking past the reality and facts and looking into his beliefs, intuitions, and feelings. Tom feels that his current life is not the end and after death freedom and happiness take precedence. Tom is living a horrible life with no parents, horrific living and work conditions but has chosen to be happy proving his romanticist way of thoughts. Honestly to others this does not make sense but to a romanticist Tom’s choices are admirable. Others are treating Tom and the other chimney sweepers unequally and logically happiness is difficult in this situation. Looking at feelings and intuition can lead to happiness when logic and facts may not.

Though the titles and author of the poems “The Chimney Sweeper” are the same the message and interpretations of each poem are completely different.   A romanticist would agree strongly with the songs of innocence chimney sweeper but not with the songs a experience. The songs of experience poem would be supported by a neoclassical. A neoclassical beliefs are opposite of a romanticist. While a romanticist values feelings a neoclassical values logic, reason and facts. In the second poem a child was living a happy childhood with his parents until one day his parents sold him to be a chimney sweeper. The child felt as though he was being punished for his happiness. The child’s parents after having sold the child were at church praying. The child was angry with God for sitting back watching all these children go through misery and pain as chimney sweepers. This child is not looking into his feelings and intuition but only at facts and reason. This child is looking at the fact that he is going through this misery and is angry at life and God. A neoclassical would support this poem because the boy is not looking deeper into his heart and feelings but only at his physical reality and the reason behind that reality.  I agree that if I was personally in this situation my first reaction would be that I was being punished for my happiness and that God is sitting back watching my misery. There is more to life then facts and times occur that facts overrule feelings but overall only looking at facts will lead to unhappiness. This child chimney sweeper is right in the fact that his working conditions are unfair and need to be stopped but this reality does not make God evil.

If I am completely honest, I can say that  I did not know nor look into the working conditions and realities of chimney sweeping. Both poems emphasize on the realities of child chimney sweeping.  The reactions and how each child deals with reality differentiate but both poems show that these children are being treated unfairly. William Blake wrote his poems based on different perspectives of thinking involving the same situation. A romanticist views life not on the reason but of the beauty in life. Every aspect of life is not logically explained but  beauty and feelings are involved. A neoclassical views life like a mathematician. Every aspect of life is based on logic and rules. A situation occurs because pieces match together like a math problem. Reason is behind each aspect of life. If I was to view life like a neoclassical I would never enjoy life to life’s fullest potential. Judging experiences based on rules and reason causes a distraction from natural beauty.  The views of a romanticist and a neoclassical are completely opposite but neither is correct. The main message of each poem is to portray the fact that child chimney sweeping is a horrific reality needing to be stopped. Views differ depending on philosophical beliefs in each poem but in neither poem is chimney sweeping portrayed as positive.

All human beings are considered equal and the reality of chimney sweeping should be banned and put to an end. I cannot express fully how appalling the reality and lifestyles are for chimney sweepers. Not one individual can learn about the lifestyle of chimney sweeping and argue the positive affects of the job. Views and reactions will differentiate but the fact that these workers are being treated unfairly is clear. The poems ” The Chimney Sweeper” by William Blake shows that reactions change depending on the workers view of life. In the songs of innocence the child had a romanticist view of life whereas in the songs of experience the views were classical. Decisions based on pure reason or based on inner feeling will change how I will react to a situation but the poems by William Blake are showing the appalling lifestyles of the child chimney sweepers. All individuals need to be treated with respect, love and equality therefore chimney sweeping should no longer exist.

Comfort and maturity levels differentiate between individuals depending on their personal life experiences. A response of one individual in a situation could be completely opposite from the response of another. Family, friends, and peers all influence decisions and reactions. I have come to realize that the times that friends have acted stupid and immaturely in situations was because their personal comfort level is gone and their response reflects their insecurity. Laughter in a time in which seriousness is expected is a response proving insecurity and inexperience.

I personally have grown up with an extremely open family in which I have been exposed to situations and ideas that others my age have not. My parents have challenged my beliefs, and I can honestly say I am growing up open-minded and ready for all what life brings my way. I remember just the other day a friend and I were talking about some of our beliefs on life and afterlife. I understand that my beliefs are not that of a traditional Catholic and it can be hard to open up to my ideas. I could tell he was struggling with my beliefs though he said he believed me. I do not wish to change the beliefs and thoughts of my friends but only to open minds to new possibilities. I honestly do consider myself as an open minded individual but what surprised me was my initial reaction to my friends’ beliefs. When he would state ideas in which I do not agree with, my first thought was to tell him he was wrong. As I listened I realized it was not my place to tell him what to believe in and instead of arguing I just listened trying to maintain that open mind. Discussing life with other individuals helps youth develop into more of a unique individual and creates maturity. I have learned that asking questions is not a weakness but strength.

Spontaneous laughter in times in which seriousness is expected has been occurring throughout all my years of schooling. The way I see the actions made by my peers is completely different then the way that same individual sees himself. There was a time in class when the teacher said the word “duties” and students began to laugh hysterically. These students see themselves as cool and popular if other students laugh with them. These students are looking at the situation as “cool” while others will be looking at that same individual as an idiot. Opinions differ amongst certain individuals. The way I see myself is not the same as how others look at me.

Spontaneous laughter in a time of seriousness can also be a result of misunderstandings. When I am in a large group I find it incredibly difficult to fully grasp all the conversations going on at once. I personally find it extremely embarrassing when I misunderstand a conversation and the others look at me like I am stupid.  There was one specific circumstance where I completely misunderstood a conversation because I started listening halfway into the conversation.  In the middle the story I burst out laughing in hysterics. I truly thought the story was a joke but it was a serious story. The individual telling the story was majorly offended. I have always assumed laughter in a time of seriousness was based on immaturity but it can in fact be just a case of misunderstandings.

I have always reacted negatively to laughter in a time of seriousness but now I understand the numerous reasons and points of view on the issue. Fear, insecurity or even just a simple misunderstanding causes this form of laughter. I also have now realized that my perspective of an issue being rude may not have even crossed that individuals mind as rude. How I respond to my life experience and see myself will never be that same as another’s opinion of me.

Laughter in a time of seriousness involves individuals feeling out of place and insecure the majority of the time. In order to keep their feeling inside, laughter is used. I understand that times occur where laughter helps me get through pain because being serious constantly is depressing. I can honestly say that I have judged others and personally laughed when I was suppose to be serious. One reason of why laughter occurs during serious times does not exist.  Reasons change for the choice of laughter and I have chosen not to judge a reaction of another because I don’t know what is going on inside.

Throughout our world cultures, religions, and lives differ amongst individuals. One of the main parts of life that is shared with all human beings is money. In our world money is needed to purchase our needs like food and shelter. An income from a job is an important aspect of human survival in today’s world. Survival of human beings seems to require an income and every individual has the right to work in safe, reasonable work environments.

In our world today individuals need to work and receive an income in order to survive in our economy. As human beings I find that individuals spend their lives dwelling on money and work. I can honestly say that I have not lived to learn or see enough to understand the depth and complications in human lives in different parts of the world. I am a Canadian citizen and Canada is an extremely economically stable country. My perspective on the importance of money is probably extremely different from those in other counties like third world countries. Personally, because an income is so necessary in our world, the dignity of work and rights of workers is particularly important to me. In the past few years I have worked numerous jobs including catering, babysitting, as a hostess and in retail. My experiences involving work have always been positive and I have never worried about my safety or rights as an employee. I remember telling my potential employer of my conflicts with dance which she happily agreed to work around. All the days I was unavailable because of extra curricular activities my employer gave me off work. In my work experiences employers have always tried to accommodate to my personal schedule to the best of their ability. I cannot even imagine or comprehend the fact that places in the world currently do not treat employees fairly and leave them in unsafe work places. When I look at my life I see freedom, happiness, equality, and respect all of which I take for granted. Not one individual no matter where they call home deserves to work in conditions of abuse, disrespect, or danger.

When I hear of unfair working conditions I automatically relate the conditions to slavery. Slavery is a major part of history in our world and is still a problem in certain parts of the world.  One area of major slave trade was Africa involving the trans-Atlantic slave trade. Africa, Europe, Brazil, the Caribbean and North America were all involved in the trans-Atlantic slave trade. Millions of individuals were forced to be slaves traveling to different countries, receiving numerous different kinds of abuse. Slaves also would struggle from malnutrition and diseases during their travels. Slaves in my opinion were treated as though they were not human and were violated of their human rights. In history human beings have made mistakes but have learned and corrected these mistakes. Slavery and unfair working conditions have not completely been corrected. Currently in China there is a Taiwanese-owned factory employing thousands of employees. This factory is run like a prison labor camp. In this factory they are paid minimum wage, work 72 hours a week and if the required hours of work are not fulfilled, overtime must be had with no pay. Women can be fired for pregnancy or for refusing to work overtime. This work environment is occurring today and I find this unbelievable. There is also said to be child labor in Pakistan in the making of Nike shoes. I own Nike shoes and it makes me feel sick to my stomach knowing the working conditions involved in the making of the shoes.  Our world needs to put a stop to unfair working conditions and pursue in achieving rights for all employees. 

I have talked to friends who stated that individuals couldn’t control how employers in other countries treat their employees. A friend once said that it was not our problem whether workers in other countries had rights and was unimportant. I completely disagree and actually countries like Canada are trying to help put a stop to unfair working conditions. Sanctions have been discussed in order to stop child labor in countries like Pakistan. Putting up sanctions would not allow countries to trade goods unless they agree to stop using child labor to make these goods. Canada and other countries putting up sanctions would force Pakistan to rethink their strategies and put an end to unfair labor. In the world there is also the Workers Compensation Act. This act is a form of insurance that provides money to those injured at work. This act to me shows that workers are important and deserve to be treated fairly. In Canada we also have laws and standards involving workplaces and employees. Employment standards include that minimum wage is the lowest wage that can be given, workers have to right to annual vacation with pay and other standards that insure the rights of workers. When worker rights are fulfilled I personally assume that the work being done will be of greater value. When individuals are not being forced unfairly to do a job the motivation to do a good job would decline. Making Employee standards and Acts leads to workers feeling important and respected, creating a positive and more effective workplace. 

Work takes up a massive amount of time in the lives of individuals and the importance of dignity of work and worker rights needs to be considered and acknowledged now. The importance of worker rights does not only affect those workers treated unfairly but our world as a whole. I cringe at the fact that areas in the world are running workplaces like a prison labor camp. I find it extremely important for the world today to put a stop to all workplaces violating worker rights.

Beliefs, religions and judgments are a reality in our world that causes conflicts amongst different groups. Personally I am raised as a catholic but I have also been taught about other religions throughout the world. Groups of individuals tend to stick together when they share common beliefs and judge every other belief that does not match their own.  Different beliefs, and religions is a part of being a human being, a part of finding out who we are as individuals. I react strongly to when individuals are so narrow minded and judgmental to any other form of belief. I remember when I was talking to a friend and I started expressing some of my beliefs to her. She looked at me like I was mental and told me that I was wrong to believe such thoughts and how much she could not understand why I felt this way. Honestly beliefs are personal and I really try to be open minded and understanding to individuals who express different beliefs from mine.

Conflict based on different beliefs is portrayed in the story Pharisees and Jesus. The Pharisees were a Jewish group that had strong beliefs and any individual who did not follow the Pharisees rules were considered unworthy. Jesus considered every human being equal and welcomed even the individuals considered unworthy in the Pharisees eyes. In this story conflict would have occurred between Jesus and the Pharisees because of their different views on faith. Jesus was an extraordinary man who is a major role model in my life today. Jesus did not judge others based on their religions or whether they followed the rules of his faith. The Pharisees did not like the fact that Jesus welcomed the unworthy and unclean individuals, which then caused tension and conflict between them and Jesus.

When I read stories like the Pharisees and Jesus I try and consider what I would do in that situation. I cannot actually know for a fact what I would do in these situations but I hope I would be like Jesus. Beliefs and religions do distinguish human beings as specific different individuals but that does not make any individual or belief better then the other. Jesus loved the Pharisees but he also loved those who were considered unworthy to the Pharisees. This story is as simple as comparing to high school. There are cliques and groups throughout high school and individuals ignore and are rude to those who are not in their clique. Human beings are created equal and we should help others whether they have the same beliefs and values as us or not. 

As I have grown up and matured there have been questions that have answers that vary or do not exist. I have been taught ever since birth that God is the only one that can help me understand myself. God created every individual and made each one of us unique and special. The flaws that humans see in themselves and in others disappear in the eyes of God. I know personally that humans get ideas of how to look, act, and live our lives. Weaknesses and flaws are frowned upon and focused on even though they are so insignificant. In God’s eyes we are all perfect even when we make mistakes and may choose the wrong paths.

As an individual when I look at myself I see my looks, interests, and achievements. I am passionate about music, I played piano for 10 years, have been dancing for 8 years, love singing and just listening to music. Music is a major part of who I am as an individual. I have other interests that I could list for hours but when I look at my passions and myself I automatically think of music. When my uncle died I didn’t want to socialize or do much. I spent hours and hours lying in my bed listening to music because music helped me personally deal with his death. Grief is a hard fact in life and music was my relief from reality. Music is extremely powerful for me and is what I turn to when I am angry, upset, stressed, or just really happy. When I look at myself as an individual I see my passions and my achievements. I have achieved honors in all my classes, have received dance awards and my grade 6 royal conservatory and grade 1 theory. These are only a short list of achievements that I am proud of in my life. I have always been told to be the best individual possible and when I look at myself I want to look at the positive parts of my life and hope that God also sees those positive.

            When I look at myself I also see my flaws and weaknesses. When I look in the mirror I not only see my physical flaws but my weakness as a human being. I personally find myself judging and comparing myself to others on their appearances and attitudes before I get to know them. Appearances are the smallest part of a human being but I always find myself focusing on appearances. I am really trying to get to know individuals personally and stop judging and comparing. I cannot change the way I look and neither can any others so my goal right now is to change that weakness in my life. Comparing myself to others is just as bad as judging others. I always find myself thinking thoughts like they are prettier then me, I’m not good enough or they are so much smarter. I understand that thoughts of comparison are useless and are a huge weakness of mine. Weaknesses and flaws are not hard to find when I analyze myself but I am trying to change and become the individual my family, friends and God want me to be.

Throughout my life I have gotten insults, advice, and compliments. Individuals tend to not listen to what others have to say because it causes the feeling of insecurity or confusion. The way I look at myself is probably completely different from how my family, friends and God see me. Advice, insults and compliments I have decided to take into consideration for my life. How others see me may help me change into a better person. I know I overlook factors in my life and personality and want to be told. One time I called my sister a name that I did not think to be offensive but she told me how much it hurt her feelings. If she hadn’t have told me then I may not have every realized the pain I was inflicting. As human beings we need to help each other grow as individuals and become the human beings that God created.

            I know I have thousands of strengths and weaknesses that I personally can only control. By using my feelings, others and God I really feel as if I can grow up into the person I can only dream of becoming. I am still maturing and finding out who I am but I now that by finding my strengths and weakness I can change what I dislike. God will always love every human being on this planet. To me I do not think that God cares about our strengths and weakness but cares about how we use those strengths and weakness to become the person he created.

Who a human being is as a person is not necessarily distinguished at birth but is developed over time and maturity. Individuals around the world all have a different personality and are their own individual person. I am only seventeen years old so technically I have not been living a very long time and do not understand life enough to understand myself. I have traveled with my family to Mexico, California, Quebec, Montreal, Ottawa, British Columbia and the Maritime provinces. Just through the few places in the world I have seen has helped me see the different cultures in our world and look past the small portion of life I have lived. Who I am becoming as a person is changing with not only my age but with every experience. My personality is only a small portion of the person I am and my decisions and journeys are what is creating the person I am.

The key characteristics of individuals I respect are compassion, love, integrity, and honesty. Honestly, if I respect these qualities in others why wouldn’t I try and develop these characteristics myself? The person an individual becomes is influenced greatly by those around them, loved ones and friends. Role models are those individuals I want to be like and those that influence my decisions. I have a happy family and good friends that have influenced my decisions as a youth and helped me become an individual that I am not ashamed of. I have learned from other human beings and I learn from their mistakes and my own. I remember one time I judged another individual on their looks and was not kind to them. I understand that this is just a petty teenage situation but when I judged this individual who is just another regular human being I realized that I did not want to be that kind of person. These simple realizations and mistakes are what shapes the person an individual becomes.

Currently at this point in my life I feel as if I am headed in the right direction as to who I wish to become. Who I wish to become may differ from day to day, and from experience to experience. Though decisions and choices change there will always be certain characteristics I always want to have. As an individual I always want my parents to be proud of me, I want respect and trust. When I am an old women looking back on my life I do not want any regrets. I only have one life to live so why would I want regret, hate, and anger. The person I want to become has happiness and love.

Characteristics and emotions are not the only thoughts that enter my mind when I think of the person I want to become. The person I want to become also involves achievements. Currently I am going to high school and maintaining honors in all my classes, I also take dance classes and have my grade 6 Royal Conservatory and grade 1 theory piano. These are only some accomplishments in my life that I have achieved. The person I want to become is an individual who works hard to achieve goals. I want to have a degree in a career choice that I love, I want to have a family filled with love and happiness. I would have to say that the person I want to become is an individual who is proud of their accomplishments and is not ashamed of their life but proud.

An individual is distinguished through experiences, goals and decisions. I honestly do not know the person who I will become but I can only aim for the person I currently want to be. Right now at seventeen years old I can only answer the question of who I wish to become from my experiences so far in my life. I know I still have lots to learn and maturity to gain but I know that I want to be a happy person who has love, integrity, and true happiness.

Seventeen years of life is an extremely short period of time but in my lifetime I have come to the conclusion that as human beings appearances are a major factor. Appearances are what are seen from only our eyes, the outside of an individual. I cannot believe how physical appearances distinguish numerous aspects of human life. Judgment based on looks is so cruel and unnecessary but I honestly admit I have judged a stranger based on their appearance. As teenagers we tend to be even more critical on appearances. The pressure received as youth to be slender, popular and beautiful is unreal. In order to be accepted others look at beauty. When I am around teenagers I witness attractive males and females and see that they only talk to one another. I admit that the first stranger I would go up and talk to is an attractive one. I do not bully or make an individual feel ugly and when I witness bullying based on looks it really troubles me. I have heard girls talk about flaws like eyes being to far apart or chubby cheeks. Facial features are a part of an individual that cannot be changed and to judge others based on these features is unreasonable and horrible.

I completely understand why the youth is so focused on beauty because look at our media. Magazine covers, television, movies and models are all based on appearances. The individuals on television or on magazine covers look a Barbie. Photo shop takes away any flaws and makes models into the most beautiful individuals imaginable. Those images are put into the heads of humans as reality and that is what we look for in strangers. Beauty in the outside is far from the most important part in life. In my personal experiences the less physically beautiful friends I have are the truer friends. I need to stop judging others by their appearances and just get to know who they are in the inside. Appearances are probably the smallest portion of who an individual is. The important parts of an individual are qualities like kindness, compassion, and love that differ amongst humans but combine to create love, and relationships.

If the world stopped focusing on beauty, there would be more happiness amongst humans. I know couples that are model gorgeous but they do not have a happy marriage because their marriage was based on looks. My parents married for love and not beauty and have been happily married for years. Personalities and connections in interests is what creates strong relationships. Individuals forget to look past the physical and miss out on life. I understand that talking about not judging on looks is easy for me to say and I am not saying I won’t ever judge on looks again or not care about my looks. My parents always told me that you learn from your mistakes and the mistakes of others. Judgment of strangers based on appearances is a mistake and I am choosing to learn from this mistake and not make the same mistake myself.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Radio Announcer: Tonight on Health Matters we will be interviewing Emma Taylor who will be sharing with us her life changing story.

Interviewer: We are hear with Emma Taylor who has made a miracle recovery from what was later discovered to be a super-bug. So Emma how did you find the strength to fight through this 2 year struggle?

Emma:There is one person I owe my life to, I remember the first time she walked, will kinda skipped into my hospital room.
Past Events

Brianna:Hey Emma!! My name is Brianna, I seen your name on the door, you must be new here! I have been here for 2 years but thats okay because last weekend I went to the zoo with my mom. Have you ever been to the zoo? We can go together sometime, the monkeys are so cute!…

Emma: Are you actually sick? YOu don’t seem like it?Brianna: Actually, I ahve terminal brain cancer…. Dr Ben says I ahve 6 months to live…. Have you ever heard the saying, “Today is a gift, that’s why it’s called the present”? Did you know some babies never get a chance to live? It’s called a miscarriage. At least I got to live all these 11 years I guess, and just between us, I don’t want to be a cranky, unhappy old lady.

Emma: How are you so happy when you know you’re going to die soon?

Brianna: Well, I was when I was first put in the hospital, but then I thought, “Whats the point”? I began to make lots of friends with other kids in the hospital and making them laugh made me happy. YOu just gotta have fun no matter what!

Back Present

Emma: Bri really made me see my life differently, she was always so happy and bubbly! Even though she was dying. For the months she had left, we were insperable, and I ahve never laughed so much! And we did make that trip to the zoo. She taught me life is what you make it, and you don’t have to grow old to have a lifetime of happiness.

Interviewer: Well, that is definately a lesson for everyone out there, sounds like we could all use a Brianna in our lives. Sometimes the cure to the worst illnesses is not a science, but your outlook on life, especially in your case.

Emma:Bri was and always will be my best friend. She pushed me to fight harder against the illness. I have made it one of my goals in life to inspire others as Bri inspired me. I have made trips to many schools and hospitals trying to change negative outlooks on life. I want to make a difference in as many people as I can, just like Brianna did for me.

Interviewer: Well, we would like to thank you for sharing this experience with us. I really do hope your dreams become a reality for you and best of luck. Thanks again.

Radio Announcer: Thats all for tonight, stay classy Canada!

Script: written by Chantal and Kaitlyn
Voices: Chantal, Jason, and Kaitlyn