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How can strength and healing arise out of tragedy and loss? I have personally asked myself this question for many years out of my teenage life. I believe that while I am currently reading the book, The Orange Girl by Jostein Gaarder. I will be able to maybe have a greater understanding of what death and loss really creates for people, how after many years of developing and living without that important person will create maturity, and a greater understanding of what life really is all about. In The Orange Girl Jostein expresses a topic that I can easily relate to. Georg Røed was a boy of fifteen years old. At the age of eleven, his father passed away from cancer. After his death, Georg receives letters from his father and is informed of a mysterious girl, who his father considers “The Orange Girl”. From beyond the grave, Georg’s father is hoping that Georg will be able to help him solve the mystery of The Orange Girl’s appearance.

I can relate to Georg Røed greatly in the sense that his father died of cancer, while he was at the age of eleven. I was about the same age as him, when my father died from cancer as well. As he mentions how he only really has a vague memory of his father, but for the most part has a positive perspective of what his father was. I can relate to this, because even after only 10 years of my father. I have this certain idea in my head that he was a great man, and I look up to him greatly. Even though I hear my mother speaking as if he was nothing like what I presume he was. I believe that is only because after 18 years of being married to him, and then the two separating, she has a completely different sense in how he was then I do. I have many positive memories of my father that I am very happy to have. I remember being able to go swimming with dad when I was atleast at the age of 7 or 8. It is definitely one of my favorite past times. As Jostein expresses through Georg’s experience in the first couple of pages of the book, Georg has a picture of his father and himself only a few weeks before the death of his father. He describes his father as being very thin in the face, and looking as if he is very weak. I do not have any pictures of my dad from when he was in this condition, and I am happy that I don’t. The memories haunt me enough. I can remember quite easily, my father in The Grey Nuns Hospital in Edmonton. I remember that during his last week, he received a drug to help him sleep, for he hadn’t slept in many weeks due to loss of strength, and ability to relax in the night. I remember that I felt very depressed to see my dad in such a condition. Before those 18 months of lung cancer I always remember my dad as a very strong, happy, and quick witted man. The type of man that I respected, and could look to for any advice at all. Seeing him in such a condition unsettled me the most.

I can remember the Thursday before that week, I was attending one of my Theatre Parties. It was a farewell to a former cast member, they were moving away to Abbotsford, British Columbia. Little did I know that that would not be the only farewell of the week. I remember going up to Edmonton that Friday, and my Aunt Kathy telling me that on Thursday my father kept asking everyone “Where is Ashlee?” I felt guilt, and I felt dispair. I felt as if I had let my father down. Especially because after that Thursday, that is when Dad was put on the antibiotics to help him sleep. I felt as if that may have been one of his last words. Which left me in even more dispair then before. The thought that maybe that meant something, maybe I really wasn’t here for my Dad even before that day. I felt guilt, and saddened by these words. Also, because after they gave him the antibiotics, he never woke up again. Even to this day, it makes me very depressed to think back to the day when my father passed away. I’ve grown up thinking that maybe I am very ignorant on the issue I’m given. Which is related to when I was not there for my Dad, for his last words. However, I have grown to realize that this is one of the stages of grief. 1. Denial 2. Anger 3. Bargaining 4. Depression (Barganing) and 5. Acceptance. I have learned to accept that my dad is gone now. However I still am a bit stuck in the depression stage. I am glad to have had such a great father, to remember and I believe that having a dad who died from lung cancer, has only made me even more unreceptive to cigarette smoking.

Loss is definitely an issue that many of us have, and if not will experience in our lives. We must all learn to accep the fact that everyone passes away. Even though it is a very scary thought. We must accept that one major reason we are alive today, is so that we can enjoy what we have today. I have learned to accept that everyone dies, it is normal to be afraid of what really happens in the end. However no one has really ever complained about being dead? So it must not be to devastating to experience.

The Orange Girl seems to be a book that could, and would help many people who have experienced loss, and tradgedy in their personal lives. I have yet to finish this book, and I am definitely enjoying it already. I am definitely satisfied so far of this book, and I would recommend it to many people if they’re experiencing loss. Even though it is quite the supernatural book, being that the father in some sense “speaks beyond the grave”. I personally enjoy books related to this, because I have always been interested in the super natural and ghost like stories that may actually be true.

This video is a very heart-breaking documentary on what lung-cancer REALLY does to a person.
I watched this video this summer, and all of the horrors of seeing my Dad die from cancer, just all repeated itself.
This video imparticular has helped me say no to smoking as much as I can.

One of my most beloved novels that I have ever read would definitely include “Down The Rabbit Hole” which is a book that is a part of the Echo Falls Mystery series. This book consists of a young girl of about 13 years of age, Ingrid Levin-Hill did not know what was coming for her. As she stumbles onto a murder mystery, after waiting for her parents to pick her up from an orthodontist appointment. She lingers onto a crime scene that brings her to a brand new view of life. Which creates a bit of a cautious mind for herself. As she meets many different people along the way, including “Cracked-up Katie” a women who welcomes Ingrid into her home so that she can call the taxi to find her way home the next morning. This is a great book for any individual who enjoys reading books about mystery and crime. It ends in a very surprising conclusion and It’s full of twists and turns that are very unexpected for the average readers perspective. I personally enjoyed this book very much. It was a very eye catching book and I really never wanted to take my eyes off of it. I loved every moment of it. It created a wonderful new mind set for myself. Peter Abrahams, the author of this book must have intended to give the influential thought of that we must take a second glance at everything, otherwise the result could end in disaster. Which is what I learned from this novel. It is a very influential book and I agree that everyone who is a preteen and adult should read this book if they are interested in a fictional mystery story should read this book.

This is certainly a great book for the average reader to bring themselves to reading. It is influenced by the story of Alice in Wonderland which is one of my favorite fairy tales. Which brought me to buying this book. I noticed the cover seemed to be related to Alice in Wonderland and I believed it would indeed be a great book to read. Which I was right about. I’m glad that I ever picked this book up because it was really interesting, I was really capable of relating to this book through the fact that Ingrid was in a play that consisted of the story of Alice in Wonderland. I enjoy acting, as I’ve mentioned in previous posts. I am in a theatre group where I act in many different plays and ways. Just like like my first post which is titled “Acting” and also in my 12th post which is called “Act is to Stage, as Rink is to Skate” I mention how much I love expressing myself on stage and giving back to the audience of which is watching me. I love to show who I really am, and be able to represent myself as me, and not as anyone else.

As the book progresses it brings out many great details and a very unexpected conclusion occurs. I surely do not want to spoil the book for whomever is reading my post at the moment. It is a great book and it shows that you need to take control of your actions, but at the same time help others and take care of them. As Amber wrote in her post about Twilight, she mentioned that she really enjoyed the movie. She also mentioned that she never read the book, however she did enjoy the movie. I was also there at the movie theatre with her however I did not really like the movie as much as she did. However, the movie did express a great amount of love and hardship. Which the book “Down the Rabbit Hole” expressed as well. Which was a great part of the book “Down the Rabbit Hole”, and is one certain situation that created myself to feel as if I could relate to the book. As well as with Amber’s post about the movie Twilight.

So therefore, I do infact recommend that anyone who is interested in mystery and crime books, should definitely pick up this book. Along with the sequel “Behind the Curtain” I have not found the time to read the sequel however, I have heard from reviews that it is also a great book to read. I can only assume that this is true, because of how great the first book was. I definitely need to try and find the time to read it. For I’m sure it is a lovely book to read. It’s a great series, and I applaud Peter Abrahams for creating such a story. It can inspire a great load of people, as it did for myself.

I am currently reading the philosophical novel “Sophie’s World” written by the intellectual Norwegian author Jostein Gaarder. Through reading the novel, I have happened to stumble upon a few religious arguments. I’ve noticed that after being informed of all the different theories and insights from such great philosophers, my perspective of many ideas have transformed greatly. I used to believe that I had quite the philosophical mind already. However, after reading about the great idealist, Socrates. I have been able to reach even higher levels of education, philosophically speaking.

Jostein Gaarder refers to many ideas when speaking about Socrates. I highly agree with Socrates in most of his beliefs. The most memorable idea in which Socrates itemized, and which I believe meant the most was “As for me, all I know is that I know nothing.” – A quote from Socrates himself. Which in my perspective, means that man can only believe they know so much. When really, they may only know so little. This idea brought me to thinking a lot about what I’ve always been taught in school. Especially in such courses as Mathematics, and Sciences. Sure the equations have been proven to be fact for many generations. However, what if we began to look even further beyond those equations? Which man has been doing for years, and years. There never seems to be a finish to the equations. There always has to be something greater. So, in reality man only believes that they know everything. Although, believing isn’t the same as knowing. Theory is not the same as fact, and since all fact begins as theory. We can not come to a conclusion that what we have proven, is really the truth. We can only believe that what we’ve known since the beginning of the world is true. Even if maybe it really is only just a figment of our imagination. We’ve become so built up in what the world has taught us since the first day of human creation or development. It is known to happen in history that obviously if one person tries to convert the ideas of another group who believe in a totally different intuition. For example the Catholic crusades. Many catholic explorers and individuals tried to convert citizens of such religions as; Islamic and Jewish. They obviously were patriotic and disagreed highly in the situation. They did not wish to change their opinions just because of the Catholics who wished they would do differently. However, nobody knows for certain I surely do not know what is in for us in the end. I am only one 14 year old girl who has many opinions about many different situations in the world today. I believe I can relate to Sophie Amundsen through the fact that she is a 14 year old, full of ideas and expectations. I would only wish that I could have the opportunity as she does to learn philosophy through a correspondence course and be able to understand the history of it through such great philosophers and historians as Marx, Plato, Aristotle, Descartes, and Socrates.

I can not begin to imagine how educated these men really were. Even if Socrates probably had the greatest idea of it all, the fact that no one knows for sure what exactly happened. I believe that is a great conclusion to all that has been stated through the past philosophers. However, the fact that those philosophers even after Socrates, could come up with such memorable ideas and philosophical events is really a great achievement for them. The fact of having the ability to have such an open minded brain and be able to come up with your own philosophy is a real talent, and skill. I’ve came up with a few of my own philosophical ideas however, I was never able to commit that much to it. Such ideas as; How I believe that if someone believes in a heaven, and a “promised land” they will surely go to the promised land, if they have been forgiven by their master, or God. If they believe in reincarnation, they will reincarnate to that of which they wish, and if someone is atheist and believes in no higher source, and no promised land, or no supernatural occurrence after death, that is what will occur. I do realize that of course life is never always fair like that, but in my personal perspective, when it comes to death, everything should be fair. When we say “Rest in Peace” I believe that that’s what they really mean, no hatred, no disagreements, and to live in absolute harmony. Which means the idea that everything is in fact fair. For through my own personal experience I have been noted to become very angry and discriminatory if I do not succeed in that which I wish, and want. I believe that at the end of life, all of those hardships disappear and we all become as one with each other. I’m not to sure about how, or where exactly this wonderful place will be. Nobody knows for certain how it is when we are brought to the end of our lives. I do not know or know if I certainly could say that I believe in the “eternal life” after death. I do not even know if I could say that this is what would be best for myself. My concept of “life” at this stage is only so bleak and small. I’ve experienced many troublesome times in life. I’m not completely sure if I would wish to live after death, not knowing exactly how this “mortal soul” and “eternal life” really will be. There may be a promised land, there may be a God, but how do we know for certain that this God is really what we’re all looking for?

We have all become so used to the teachings of Jesus Christ and the apostles. How do we know for certain that the book of the Bible is honestly the real deal? What if the Bible was just written by an old philosopher, or author thinking of a way to fool the generations in the future? We never know for certain exactly how the world was brought together. For some reason, even though the human mind can reach such depths, we still believe we need to have evidence in order to believe that a certain topic is true. I know that when I learn a new topic in Social Studies, I need to see the evidence and know examples to help me learn that of which was procrastinated many years ago. I personally enjoy being able to see that what I’m learning has evidence, and is true. Even though now, after learning and becoming aware of Socrates’s ideas about how we only know so much, I still love to try and exercise my brain into trying to learn, and believe in greater philosophies as I did when I was younger.

I would highly recommend Sophie’s World to any individual interested in learning about the history of philosophy. Not only does this book offer a greater understanding of the history of philosophy, it also helps one discover their own identity religiously, and philosophically. I’ve enjoyed this book very much, and only have 100 pages to go. I think it’s simple to say, that his book has definitely changed my perspective on the world I see with my eyes today. When I look at anything as simple as the grass, or maybe something more complex as a mathematical equation. I will take notice and think about how the world really came to create, and acknowledge such great objects and ideas.