Unbelievable.

The concept of unbelievable or extraordinary happenings in one's life is quite a complicated and diverse thing to think about. Most people see their lives as filled with the ordinary and every day things. They think everything in their life is entirely believable. I am one of those people. I thought and thought for a while about what I was going to write about for this blog. And I couldn’t think of a single thing. I would come up with an idea and then think "Nah, that’s totally believable." Then, I came to ask myself, "What exactly determines what is or is not believable in today's world? Does it vary between person and person?" That got my mind running with many other ideas. Maybe, what I found to be believable would, in fact, be entirely unbelievable to another. So, because of this, I have come to the conclusion on what I will talk about in this post: My support system. Everybody has family and friends. But maybe their families are split or don’t speak anymore. These people may suffer in ways other people don’t understand. I am blessed to have a family who loves me and fights for me every day. My mom is my rock, who fights for me and my health every day of my life. She will go to war with anyone for me. She is always there to help me sort out my problems, listen, and be a shoulder to lean on. My father is my comedian. He is always there to cheer me up and provide comic relief. I can easily sit with my dad and talk about nothing and cry from laughing so hard. My brother is just like any other sibling. We fight and bicker, but at the end of the day we love each other. We would go to bat for each other, and defend one another to the death. I'm blessed with countless cousins, aunts, and uncles. Some are "fake" and others are truly blood related. My friends are what pull me through. Their effortless love and support is beyond words. They provide with happiness and laughter. They are the foundation of my courage. Now, what is so unbelievable about this? The truth of the matter is, some people do not have friends and family as I do. Some kids are stuck in the middle of a divorce, or forced to pick sides in a fight that they have no interest in. What most people don’t realize is that we have blessings in our everyday life, even if they've been there forever. It's time to stop and realize what you have and stop focusing on what you don’t.

Safe Haven and Nicholas Sparks

I just finished reading the book Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks today. I was pleasantly surprised to find that I greatly enjoyed the book. Usually, Nicholas Sparks’s books don’t elicit much interest from me. However, Safe Haven had me frantically turning the pages. I was eager to find out the different things about the characters, as well as where the plot was going and where it would end up. Sparks created a suspenseful page turner from the beginning to end. I loved the ending of the novel, though I wish he would have explained more where the main characters ended up. I understood, however, why he ended it the way he did. The book will be made into a movie that is coming out in February and I can’t wait to see the film adaptation. Josh Duhamel is playing the male lead, and I have a major celebrity crush on him, so I’m sure I will enjoy. I am planning on going out tomorrow to buy some more of Sparks' books. I have already read Dear John, The Last Song, and the Lucky One. I didn’t like Dear John, but thoroughly enjoyed The Lucky One. I talked to some of my friends who read him and they suggested their favorites. I'm hoping I will enjoy the others as much as I enjoyed this one!

 

Reading.

Many kids my age don’t have the time or attention span to read. I, however, have had the love of reading from a very early age. Books are magical things, though some people do not see or feel their magic. For me, reading is an escape. It is forgetting where you are and who you are for a little while. You can live vicariously through these characters, and achieve things you never thought possible. These characters give you hope and imagination. You find pieces of yourself in them and learn that you are not alone. Not only do I love to read, but also to write. My imagination is always running rampant, a characteristic I am sure was imposed upon me through the stories I have read. My mind is constantly coming up with different story lines and characters for things I haven’t written yet. Writing is as much an escape for me as reading is. I lose myself in the words, in creating a place that may or may not be real. The ability to imagine is truly a gift to be used to help others and yourself. You never know who your words will touch, and that in itself is magic. Reading is the same. In those stories, you find answers to questions you didn’t realize you asked.

"Words are, in my not so humble opinion, our most inexhaustible source of

magic, capable of inflicting injury and remedying it."

~Albus Dumbledore, i.e. J.K. Rowling (Harry Potter)



Patience

Patience is one of the many virtues in which I do not possess. Over the past few months, the little bit I have has been tested. In November, I was selected to receive a wish from the Make a Wish Foundation. Anyone who knows me well would not be surprised to learn that I wished to visit the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida. I am a Harry Potter Freak to the utmost degree. My walls are adorned in Harry Potter artifacts such as the Marauder's Map and Hogwarts Gryffindor House Crest. I also have accessories like a Time Turner and Felix Felicis necklaces. One of the coolest gifts I got for Christmas this year was a Harry Potter Film Artifact Box. Inside, it contains the photo Sirius gives Harry in the fifth movie/book, a Hogwarts acceptance letter, Sirius Black Wanted poster, Dumbledore's Army signature list, Lily's letter to Sirius from the seventh book, a Hogwarts Express dog tag, and a Quidditch World Cup ticket. I am absolutely obsessed with these things because it makes me feel like I am holding an actual object from the movies and books. I watch the movies all the time, so much that I can say the lines along with the characters. I must say, it’s probably the reason my dad hates watching them with me. I've also read each book at least three times, the seventh and last one nine times. As you can see, I am beyond obsessed. It inspires quite an excitement in me. Because of all this, my anticipation for the trip is at an all time high. If I could, I would pack my bags to leave tomorrow. The trip will last around 5-6 days and not only will I go to Harry Potter world but I will also be visiting Disney World and the beach. The Wish is undergoing to the approval process and I should be hearing back in the next couple months. I'm hoping sooner rather than later! Wish me luck!