"A message to my Grandma" by Kendra A

  

It was the Summer of 2010 that the lives of so many looked tragedy straight in the face. Life was so beautiful where it seemed almost as if everything was perfect, until suddenly it wasn't. As our family went from camping trips, pool parties, cook outs and boating, to hospitals, funerals, and tears, our world felt as if it came crashing down. Saying goodbye to someone you love is one of the most difficult things we will ever have to do in our lives. Although at the time, my youth blocked me out from all the bad, all I remember was giving my grandma a silly painting and giving her hugs while she lay in a hospital bed. Being told “grandma is a little sick right now”, I never expected that to be my last time ever seeing her.  Not thinking grandma wouldn’t be around no more, I thought nothing of it and questioned all the tears that came along from my family. As I realize now, my grandma was near death and I had no clue or idea that she was slowly going to be with God. My grandma was everything to me where she was the cool, older sister that I never had. Always sneaking around makeup for me, dancing our hearts out, or a lap to sit on whenever I needed to. So many amazing childhood memories, where my grandma was a part of them all. As I go through old pictures, looking back on those beautiful times, I wonder why she did what she did. I wonder why she had to ruin something that was so pure and perfect, and why she had to leave this world so soon. You seemed so happy grandma, how could you let addiction get in the way of that? You left a room full of people, looking at your casket, with not one dry eye in the place. Many years passed by before I was old enough to understand the real reason why you are no longer here with us today. I never imagined that to be the case, and I never imagined I would feel such anger towards you. How could you do this to us? You had friends that were there for you, you had family that loved you more than anything, and you had a husband who was crazy about you. As time passes on, I have learned to accept what has been done and to live with peace in my heart knowing that you are now in a better place. I pray that you are up above watching over us at all times, and that wherever you may be, you are happy. So many times, I have felt this anger rise up in me, as if almost a form of hatred. I never understood how someone you love can just betray you like that, but we are all living in a world full of people wearing masks. We never know the true story of everything, and a lot of the time, things are not always the way they seem to be. My grandma seemed so happy, but a whole hidden dark side to her that eventually engulfed her entire body leaving us here today without her beautiful soul. Wherever you may be right now grandma, I am here to tell you that I am not mad. I love you so dearly and wish everyday that you were still here with us. I wonder how different life would be and if things would be better in a way. Although you went to fly high with the angels grandma, just know that we miss you down here and can’t wait till we meet again.

d almost as if everything was perfect, until suddenly it wasn't. As our family went from camping trips, pool parties, cook outs and boating, to hospitals, funerals, and tears, our world felt as if it came crashing down. Saying goodbye to someone you love is one of the most difficult things we will ever have to do in our lives. Although at the time, my youth blocked me out from all the bad, all I remember was giving my grandma a silly painting and giving her hugs while she lay in a hospital bed. Being told “grandma is a little sick right now”, I never expected that to be my last time ever seeing her.  Not thinking grandma wouldn’t be around no more, I thought nothing of it and questioned all the tears that came along from my family. As I realize now, my grandma was near death and I had no clue or idea that she was slowly going to be with God. My grandma was everything to me where she was the cool, older sister that I never had. Always sneaking around makeup for me, dancing our hearts out, or a lap to sit on whenever I needed to. So many amazing childhood memories, where my grandma was a part of them all. As I go through old pictures, looking back on those beautiful times, I wonder why she did what she did. I wonder why she had to ruin something that was so pure and perfect, and why she had to leave this world so soon. You seemed so happy grandma, how could you let addiction get in the way of that? You left a room full of people, looking at your casket, with not one dry eye in the place. Many years passed by before I was old enough to understand the real reason why you are no longer here with us today. I never imagined that to be the case, and I never imagined I would feel such anger towards you. How could you do this to us? You had friends that were there for you, you had family that loved you more than anything, and you had a husband who was crazy about you. As time passes on, I have learned to accept what has been done and to live with peace in my heart knowing that you are now in a better place. I pray that you are up above watching over us at all times, and that wherever you may be, you are happy. So many times, I have felt this anger rise up in me, as if almost a form of hatred. I never understood how someone you love can just betray you like that, but we are all living in a world full of people wearing masks. We never know the true story of everything, and a lot of the time, things are not always the way they seem to be. My grandma seemed so happy, but a whole hidden dark side to her that eventually engulfed her entire body leaving us here today without her beautiful soul. Wherever you may be right now grandma, I am here to tell you that I am not mad. I love you so dearly and wish everyday that you were still here with us. I wonder how different life would be and if things would be better in a way. Although you went to fly high with the angels grandma, just know that we miss you down here and can’t wait till we meet again.

"The Galarza’s Spaghetti Recipe" by Samantha G

 

     Hey y'all! Welcome to my blog entry on my family’s spaghetti recipe!Today I am going to explain how to make our generationally perfected spaghetti so that y’all can make this spaghetti at home with your own families! However, before I explain how to make my family's delicious spaghetti I am going to share my reason for choosing this particular recipe.I come from a family that loves to cook and make delicious items! My grandmother on my dad’s side is the one who introduced, and gave my mom the “recipe” for the family's spaghetti. While my mom greatly appreciated the gesture, she decided that she wanted to change up the recipe like those who had the recipe before her had done as well. My mom experimented with new spices, meats, and types of noodles before she finally settled on the way her and my dad liked the spaghetti best. My mom had decided to add new spices like chili and onion, she added sweet italian sausage into the ground beef, and finally decided to add the smooth, cheesy topping on the finished spaghetti.But anyways, the reason I decided to share this specific recipe with YOU, isso that you and your families can come together and experiment a new wayto make your own spaghetti and be able to pass that recipe down to your own families to continue to have delicious family recipes that you and your family can enjoy! I encourage you to use our family's recipe as a “baseline” on how to make your own recipe! I hope you and your families will be able to use this recipe as a tool to produce your own family recipes and have amazing smells coming from your kitchen, just like mine! Make sure you have your family in mind as you experiment, and please be careful! 

 

Ingredients: 

●1 Tbsp. of Canola Oil 

●Chicken Bouillon 

●Chili Powder●Garlic Salt 

●Italian Seasoning Blend 

●Meat Tenderizer 

●Minced Onion 

●Three Fifteen Ounce Cans of Tomato Sauce 

●Three Cups of Grated Cheddar Cheese 

●One Pound of Ground Beef 

●One Pound of Spaghetti Noodles 

●One Pound of Sweet Italian Sausage 

Directions: 

1.Empty your package of ground beef and ground or sliced italian sausage into the skillet. (My family uses a large electric skillet, but you may use whatever you have available!) 

2.Once the meats have been added, sprinkle the chili powder, garlic salt,Italian seasoning blend, meat tenderizer, and minced onion onto the mixture of meat in the skillet. 

3.Once the spices have been added, cook the meat until browned. 

4.While the meat is cooking, boil a pot of water and add one tablespoon.of canola oil and two tablespoons of chicken bouillon to the water.(When adding the bouillon to the boiling water show CAUTION the bouillon may cause the water to boil over onto the stove! To avoid this,try turning the heat down after the water has boiled while you are adding the bouillon!) 

5.Once the bouillon and oil have been added to the boiling water, grab your pound of spaghetti noodles, break them in half and drop them into the boiling water. (Once again, show CAUTION when adding the noodles into the boiling water to avoid the water boiling over onto the stove! Turning the heat down during the dropping of the noodles into the pot will assist in avoiding a boil over as well!) 

6.Cook the spaghetti noodles for ten minutes or until the pasta is “Al Dente”. 

7.While the pasta is cooking, open the three cans of tomato sauce and add the sauce to the meat in the skillet. Do not throw away the tomato sauce cans!! 

8.Once the contents of the tomato sauce cans have been poured into the meat, add one and a half tomato sauce cans worth of water into the meat mixture. 

9.Once the tomato sauce and water are added, allow the meat and tomato sauce to simmer with the lid on until the pasta is ready. 

10.Once the pasta is ready, strain the noodles from the pasta water and add the pasta into the meat and sauce mixture.

11.Once the spaghetti noodles and sauce have been thoroughly mixed, cover the entire top of the spaghetti with the grated cheddar cheese. 

12.Once the cheddar cheese has been added, put the lid back on the skillet and allow the cheese to completely melt onto the spaghetti. 

13.Once the cheese has been completely melted, uncover the pan and serve! 

On behalf of me and my family, we sincerely hope you enjoy our family's spaghetti and will use it to create your own families special spaghetti recipe! 

Bon Appetit!

 

"Why I So strongly Believe Animals Think, Connections to Nature and Communication as we Know it" By William SDo you believe animals think? What is it to think? What does Communication andlinguistic skills have to do with all of this? Answer: (read below) it may have to do with yourEnglish and Language Classes?! I think an interesting connection I have made, going over what some find to becontroversial, is how we can classify intelligence, I do feel that our brains are furthest developedcompared to other species, but not as far as many will think. LOL Thinking is just really theability to learn from others, rather than follow a planned path by instinct alone, in other words, itmeans that if no one taught you a particular skill, you wouldn’t have been able to do it, and it canalso mean to ponder over decisions. Many people disregard the abilities of the natural world andbelieve that we are the only creatures that think. Let’s make our first connection to evolution, andsee how that affects my standpoint. Think about it like this, humans took under two million yearsto go from being no smarter, probably less smart than a chimpanzee, to being the humans that weare now. Think about that! Two million years is nothing in the eyes of evolution, the first time that sexual reproduction happened was 1.2 billion years ago, from the first life form, estimated toexist almost a couple (no pun intended LOL) billion years before that. Interestingly enough, thatwas one small step for those two organisms, who had counterpart DNA as a mutation, but onelarge leap for all of life, as this would be the spark of vast evolution and genetic variance acrossall organisms. It would take another 600 million years for organisms to become multicellular,and it wasn’t until only 380 million years ago till the first creature breathed in with its lungs. Itwasn’t until 200 million years ago that the first organism had a cerebrum, and the first birds andmammals came into existence a little over 120 million years ago. This is clearly highlighting aconnection to an exponential growth in the rate of change in evolution, the perfect example ofpositive feedback. The point of this is that we all come from a similar base, but small thingsmake us appear so vastly different. If you looked at a bunch of embryos in phase 1 of incubationin the womb, you couldn’t really tell a pig from a human, and we are roughly 98 percent thesame genetically as a chimpanzee. Although we are the only creatures to build rocket ships andsend them into space, or do advanced math, many of the others aren’t all that far behind.elephants actually keep graveyards for their lost loved ones, and whales actually communicate indifferent dialects in different areas of the world, and can learn other dialects by interacting withother pods over time just like we can learn a new language over time. Of course this is going toget you thinking about what I say, if you believe that only humans think, you are saying that youdon’t think when you are in your english class, or any language art at all.Let's be “Punny” LOL and think about what it is to think! Thinking is generating yourown ideas as an individual, not from instinct, but from your surroundings (as previously stated).This is what develops personality, something that the greater apes, as well as other mammals possess (as personality has the word person in it, only validating our narcissism), or even manybirds, like many song birds and finches learn different songs underneath their father, and find theright mate with the right song, that has to be learned. Each of my cats has a different personality,even a favorite color! On a more serious note, just like how humans communicate, which ismostly sound and body language, (as previously stated), other animals aren’t that different.Looking at the exponential increase in the rate of evolution, it seems that we really only might beone to two million years ahead of some of these other creatures. Obviously, they think, they learnfrom each other just as we do, for example, orcas teach there young unique hunting strategiesthat other orcas wouldn’t know, signifying learning, rather than instinct where they all share thesame knowledge from birth.This actually hints at a connection to a different topic, why do writers write, why do theyappeal to the emotions of others? The answer is really simple, and has a connection to nature.Writers are just communicating their thoughts to others, but just in a higher form ofcommunication, a standard language of communication, to express how they feel, and what theywant. When we all have something in common, we relate better, and there is much lessdisagreement. For example, the Mob mentality in TKAM is represented in many communities,human, and natural world, a creature is treated differently if they act differently, and creaturesthat get hyper with many relatable others around can get dangerous, signifying our huntinginstincts in relation to mob mentality, as we used to hunt in groups for food, like some of theviolent groups of gangs today, regardless though, we still had to be taught to actually hunt. Thepeer pressure shapes society for the good and for the bad, and so does the media. When people inancient times wrote books, that was the media, the equivalent of today’s Instagram, as now, on social media, we make ourselves appear taller, or more intimidating, as they say, it is the winnerwho got to write the history, signifying that we may not be able to trust the written history all thetime as we don't always trust what others say on social media. We were no different then as wewanted to put ourselves in the best light possible to seem “fit” both quite literally andfiguratively for survival. Many other creatures learn what is seen to be attractive to othercreatures, peacocks learn how to spread their feathers, and “flex” in communication that can beonly taught by society, just like us in Instagram, or any other Social Media, put your best part outthere, and sometimes find those attracted to you, perhaps even “mates” as they call it. When wewrite, we communicate our feelings, just as we talk. Whenever you learn another language, youare obviously learning. For example in the natural world, a lion that is transferred to a differentpride learns how to communicate with that pride, and can still communicate with its previouspride. When we are alone, like Boo Radley, we don’t know how to communicate. This is justlike the songbird that couldn’t find a mate because that it didn't have the presence of its parentsto teach it its mating call, or just like the cat that couldn’t play with other cats, or communicate tothem without learning from other cats, we are always influenced by one another, and this comesfrom the natural world long before the first human. We have just learned to communicate on ahigher form, about two million years ahead to be precise, through literature, and all media, westill communicate, want to be respected, and loved by others, and I can guarantee that won’tchange for at least the next ten million years to come! KNOWING HOW TO COMMUNICATEIS AN ART, A LANGUAGE ART, AND WHEN WE COMMUNICATE, WE OBVIOUSLYTHINK, SO SAYING ANIMALS DON’T THINK IS LIKE SAYING YOU DON’T THINKWHEN YOU ARE IN ENGLISH CLASS!!!

    Do you believe animals think? What is it to think? What does Communication and linguistic skills have to do with all of this? Answer: (read below) it may have to do with your English and Language Classes?! 

     I think an interesting connection I have made, going over what some find to be controversial, is how we can classify intelligence, I do feel that our brains are furthest developed compared to other species, but not as far as many will think. LOL Thinking is just really the ability to learn from others, rather than follow a planned path by instinct alone, in other words, it means that if no one taught you a particular skill, you wouldn’t have been able to do it, and it can also mean to ponder over decisions. Many people disregard the abilities of the natural world and believe that we are the only creatures that think. Let’s make our first connection to evolution, and see how that affects my standpoint. Think about it like this, humans took under two million years to go from being no smarter, probably less smart than a chimpanzee, to being the humans that we are now. Think about that! Two million years is nothing in the eyes of evolution, the first time that sexual reproduction happened was 1.2 billion years ago, from the first life form, estimated to exist almost a couple (no pun intended LOL) billion years before that. Interestingly enough, that was one small step for those two organisms, who had counterpart DNA as a mutation, but one large leap for all of life, as this would be the spark of vast evolution and genetic variance across all organisms. It would take another 600 million years for organisms to become multicellular,and it wasn’t until only 380 million years ago till the first creature breathed in with its lungs. It wasn’t until 200 million years ago that the first organism had a cerebrum, and the first birds and mammals came into existence a little over 120 million years ago. This is clearly highlighting a connection to an exponential growth in the rate of change in evolution, the perfect example of positive feedback. The point of this is that we all come from a similar base, but small things make us appear so vastly different. If you looked at a bunch of embryos in phase 1 of incubation in the womb, you couldn’t really tell a pig from a human, and we are roughly 98 percent the same genetically as a chimpanzee. Although we are the only creatures to build rocket ships and send them into space, or do advanced math, many of the others aren’t all that far behind.elephants actually keep graveyards for their lost loved ones, and whales actually communicate indifferent dialects in different areas of the world, and can learn other dialects by interacting with other pods over time just like we can learn a new language over time. Of course this is going to get you thinking about what I say, if you believe that only humans think, you are saying that you don’t think when you are in your english class, or any language art at all. 

     Let's be “Punny” LOL and think about what it is to think! Thinking is generating your own ideas as an individual, not from instinct, but from your surroundings (as previously stated).This is what develops personality, something that the greater apes, as well as other mammals possess (as personality has the word person in it, only validating our narcissism), or even many birds, like many song birds and finches learn different songs underneath their father, and find the right mate with the right song, that has to be learned. Each of my cats has a different personality,even a favorite color! On a more serious note, just like how humans communicate, which is mostly sound and body language, (as previously stated), other animals aren’t that different.Looking at the exponential increase in the rate of evolution, it seems that we really only might be one to two million years ahead of some of these other creatures. Obviously, they think, they learn from each other just as we do, for example, orcas teach there young unique hunting strategies that other orcas wouldn’t know, signifying learning, rather than instinct where they all share the same knowledge from birth. 

     This actually hints at a connection to a different topic, why do writers write, why do they appeal to the emotions of others? The answer is really simple, and has a connection to nature.Writers are just communicating their thoughts to others, but just in a higher form of communication, a standard language of communication, to express how they feel, and what they want. When we all have something in common, we relate better, and there is much less disagreement. For example, the Mob mentality in TKAM is represented in many communities,human, and natural world, a creature is treated differently if they act differently, and creatures that get hyper with many relatable others around can get dangerous, signifying our hunting instincts in relation to mob mentality, as we used to hunt in groups for food, like some of the violent groups of gangs today, regardless though, we still had to be taught to actually hunt. The peer pressure shapes society for the good and for the bad, and so does the media. When people in ancient times wrote books, that was the media, the equivalent of today’s Instagram, as now, on social media, we make ourselves appear taller, or more intimidating, as they say, it is the winner who got to write the history, signifying that we may not be able to trust the written history all thet ime as we don't always trust what others say on social media. We were no different then as we wanted to put ourselves in the best light possible to seem “fit” both quite literally and figuratively for survival. Many other creatures learn what is seen to be attractive to other creatures, peacocks learn how to spread their feathers, and “flex” in communication that can be only taught by society, just like us in Instagram, or any other Social Media, put your best part out there, and sometimes find those attracted to you, perhaps even “mates” as they call it. When we write, we communicate our feelings, just as we talk. Whenever you learn another language, you are obviously learning. For example in the natural world, a lion that is transferred to a different pride learns how to communicate with that pride, and can still communicate with its previous pride. When we are alone, like Boo Radley, we don’t know how to communicate. This is just like the songbird that couldn’t find a mate because that it didn't have the presence of its parents to teach it its mating call, or just like the cat that couldn’t play with other cats, or communicate to them without learning from other cats, we are always influenced by one another, and this comes from the natural world long before the first human. We have just learned to communicate on a higher form, about two million years ahead to be precise, through literature, and all media, we still communicate, want to be respected, and loved by others, and I can guarantee that won’t change for at least the next ten million years to come! KNOWING HOW TO COMMUNICATE IS AN ART, A LANGUAGE ART, AND WHEN WE COMMUNICATE, WE OBVIOUSLY THINK, SO SAYING ANIMALS DON’T THINK IS LIKE SAYING YOU DON’T THINK WHEN YOU ARE IN ENGLISH CLASS!!!

" Please don't love me" by Nguyen H

Dear my angel, 

I would be a liar if I say that I didn't love the way you look at me like I'm the only one in the world. But you are too beautiful, too pure, too kind for the filthy, dirty me. I never deserve your gentle touches and kind whispers. So I beg of you please don't love me. Please don't love me for I will only hurt you. Please don't love me for I will not be able to love you the way that you deserve to be love.I am too much of a dishonest mess, too abrasive, and too insecure.I can never seem to be able to show my true feelings, constantly having to mask them with a stoic image. And just the moon I never let people see my ugly side. not even those who are close to me. Never will they get to see me honest or vulnerable. So if you're falling in love with me, don't. Because I will never be able to be honest with you, I will never be able to show you my vulnerable side, and I will constantly push you away, keeping you at arm's length, because If ear that if you see my ugly side, you will come to hate me.I don't know how to speak kindly. Even that is an understatement. I'm terrible at speaking kindly to people. My abrasiveness makes the words that leave my mouth to become cold and harsh.So if you're falling in love with me, don't. Because I will only hurt you with my words. I will only be able to break your heart with my cruel spells, when you deserve the kindest of whispers and flowers to bloom in your heart. I will only be able to make droplets fall on your cheeks out of sorrow when you deserve to have them adorned by kisses and blushes.I am unable to leave my negative thoughts behind me. Too caught up in being perfect, and worries about things going wrong. My insecurity will lead me into a spiral of doubts and paranoia. So if you're falling in love with me, don't. Because I can never make you happy with my constant jealousy. I can never make you happy with the constant paranoia that you would leave me. I will go insane with the thought that I'm not good enough for you; and that maybe one day, you realize that I'm too hideous for enchanting you.So please, I beg of you, don't love me. Instead fall in love with someone of your own kind.Please fall in love with someone who can give you words of love that I can't give. Please fall in love with someone that will adorn your cheek with kisses and blushes. Please fall in love with someone who will bring a smile to grace upon those precious lips. Please fall in love with someone who will let flowers bloom in your heart. Please, oh please, fall in love with someone who will be able to love you more than I can ever hope to. Because demons, like myself, are unable to love for we only have greed and selfishness.Our worlds are too different. You, who belong in the light, where the flowers bloom at your footsteps. And I, who wallow in this darkness, where life vanish at my present alone.So please, don't fall in love with me... don't fall in love with darkness...

" What is a Woman?" by Ashley I

     By definition, a woman is an adult human female, a female person associated with a particular place, activity, or occupation, or female adults in general. In our changing world, we have given a new definition to the word “woman”. To me, a woman is someone who is strong,someone who loves and uplifts others, someone who is beautiful inside and out, someone who is confident with themselves. I did not mention a gender in my own definition. I believe a woman does not have to be confined to a single definition or a single gender. If someone identifies as a woman, then they simply are. Biology does not define who a woman is. Women need to uplift all women regardless of race, nationality, and biological gender. As a woman we have endured many hardships such as, sexism, gender stereotypes, sexual abuse, and oppression, but we have always come out stronger. 

     Women live with so many different hardships throughout their daily lives. Women earn less than a man, live in constant fear of our lives, and experience pain every month that men will never understand. Research done in 2015 stated, we earn about $0.74 to a man’s $0.97. Another research in 2020 claimed, women earn about $0.81 from a man’s $0.98, and that decreases regarding nationality and race. This may not seem like a lot but women everywhere are furious.We should be paid the same for doing the same work and just as good as men do. Protests and petitions have been broadcasted to get this problem fixed but it hasn’t been enough. The Equal Pay Act signed over 50 years ago still did not resolve the problem at hand. Women will continue to fight for what we deserve. 

     Moreover, about 1 in 6 women have been sexually assaulted and not all are reported. A survey in 2017, reported that about 42% of women have experienced gender discrimination in the workplace. This is not in count for our LGBTQ+ community for those who identify as women, who are more at risk. Almost every woman is scared to do normal, everyday things in fear of a man whether it be sexual assault, sex trafficking, kidnapping, etc. As women we live inconstant fear of our lives, going out by ourselves can be anxious and frightening, seeing men regardless of age, race, and looks can be terrifying, being a woman is just scary. One Twitter user posted a question asking women: "What would you do if all men had a 9pm curfew?". Some responses include such as, go dancing, taking a walk, run at night/run with both earbuds in, and not worrying about locking the car door. Movements like the #MeToo movement shares the stories of victims of personal assault and their survival stories to shed light on how terrifying it is and how it consistently happens everyday and everywhere. Women will continue to fight for a safer environment for all. 

     Women have been oppressed since the beginning of time, not given the same basic human rights as men, receiving voting rights in 1920 (only 100 years ago), being forced/told to cook, clean, take care of the household as men go off to work.Men were allowed to do whatever they want while women were housewives and took care of the household. Even up to present time, there are many high, respected positions that women have not been allowed a chance to have, such as presidency. Most gender stereotypes still hold true to today, women are not given a high respect like men do when it comes to jobs and parenting. Women have been given the gift of bearing life and creating the new generation and are not given enough praise for it. Women should not be overlooked solely based on their gender when we are so much more than that. 

     In conclusion, a woman is strong and powerful. Women can do anything we set our minds to. Though we haven’t been a given much, we have already persevered through it all. We will continue to fight for what we deserve and for what is right. A woman is so much more than a single definition and should not be tyrannized because of our gender. A woman is persevering through all the hardships. A woman is praising other women regardless of shape, size, race, age,etc. A woman is not confined to a single gender or what society leads us to believe. A woman is everything and more. To all the women reading this, you are beautiful, loved, powerful, strong,confident, and amazing no matter what anyone tells you. 

      Disclaimer: 

     This is to promote the hardships of women and not depreciate men and their hardships. You are all amazing and beautiful too. 

 

Work Cited: 

 https://time.com/5795626/what-womanhood-means/https://www.wellandgood.com/what-means-woman/https://medium.com/@XanJ/what-is-a-woman-1792ddda4a8bhttps://www.nsvrc.org/statisticshttps://www.rainn.org/statistics/victims-sexual-violencehttps://legaljobsite.net/sexual-assault-statistics/https://www.payscale.com/data/gender-pay-gaphttps://www.news18.com/news/buzz/this-is-what-women-would-do-if-there-were-no-men-on-streets-at-night-1895757.htmlhttps://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcthree/article/491cd13b-fcfd-4e9b-b64d-a72cf8ad8c8b

"Diphenhydramine" by Eiana D

  

Trigger Warning: this subject might be triggering to certain audiences.(In honor of the Suicide Prevention Month)

Diphenhydramine, otherwise known as Benadryl, is a drug known to treat allergic reactions,fevers, cold symptoms and insomnia. The pill bottles always have the warnings not to take more than the recommended dosage, which is around 8 pills in 24 hours because it can be harmful in large amounts. An overdose in diphenhydramine may cause extreme drowsiness, confusion,increased heart rate, seizures and even a coma. 

I took more than 20 pills that night. 

A cat has 9 lives. The origin of this myth and expression is unknown, but it has existed for centuries and differs from culture to culture. It is used in everyday language and famous literature and works such as William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. 

If I was a cat, I would have 6 out of 9 lives left.

 I lost a life for every handful of pills I took and after every attempt, I still somehow cheated death. I was never proud of my actions and it is still very hard for me to talk about this experience, however I realized that denying my past would only put me into a state of desolation. I hated it when people asked me why I suddenly disappeared from school for a week because it caught me off guard and I would answer the same way every time: ​I was sick. ​It was not a lie because I really was sick, physically and emotionally. Like the expression of a cat’s nine lives, there is no definite origin to my suffering. Maybe it was from the self- inflicted pressure because of my fear of failure or my inability to say no and always putting others before myself... or maybe it was genetics since my family tree has a few bruised apples. 

I was sick of everything. I always wondered why I was trying so hard when I knew I would not make it to graduation. I wanted to stray away from my responsibilities, from school, and from my own mind. I decided to overwork myself physically in order to make up for my declining mental health. I drowned myself in schoolwork, extracurricular activities, exercise and any more you can think of. Initially, it worked wonders. The formal dining became my haven where I could focus on my work and drown out my thoughts. I did not feel the need to cry, to eat or to talk to anyone because all my energy was focused on school and nothing else. However overtime, my grip on my books loosened and my grip on the pill bottles tightened. Everyday was a blur and it felt like I was just watching myself go about my day and follow the same routine over and over again. I thought that God was foolish for bringing someone like me into this world. I did not make a difference in anyone’s lives and was just living in the same cycle of self-destruction. I was emotionally dead and numb and I just wanted to be physically done too.

Although my initial plan was to meet death, I was reborn. The memory of my waking resembled that of a newborn’s. I do not remember what happened, where I was, and who I was but I knew that event took place because it explained my existence at this moment. Afraid of the pain that came with growth, I was hesitant to learn how to stand and to continue to walk again. However,the pain in everyone’s voice and eyes after that incident stuck to me. ​Life is God’s greatest gift.Through the kindness of others, He showed me that His arms were wide open and just waiting for me to trust that He will make something beautiful out of my scattered pieces. I stood up and took my first steps with the realization that I have yet to fulfill my purpose in this world. I stopped trying to search for my purpose but I chose to accept that I have one and look forward to its fulfillment. 

The atmosphere has changed compared to how it was on the night of February 25th. Seven months ago. By allowing myself to feel and to take a pause and really reflect on everything around me, I was able to move a couple more steps forward. I knew I had to break and accept the uncertainty of the future in order to be one step closer to my true potential. I just needed to trust in myself to keep going and persevere. My steps are small and wavering but I have my faith as my crutches. 

“It is sometimes so bitterly cold in the winter that one says, ‘The cold is too awful for me to care whether summer is coming or not; the harm outdoes the good.’ But with or without our approval,the severe weather ​does​ come to an end eventually and one fine morning the wind changes and there is the thaw. ​When I compare the state of the weather to the state of mind and our circumstances, subject to change and fluctuation like the weather, then I still have some hope that things may get better.” - Vincent Van Gogh, in a letter to his brother Theo from 1879.

“Happy Birthday to...” by Madelyn M

     Birthdays... Only come once a year they do. The one day out of the whole year that’s supposed to be yours. A day that’s meant solely to celebrate you and your existence in this world. Yet it’s a day I’ve grown to loathe that’s brought me more anxiety and sadness as each one passes. Another year of my life gone in what feels like a second, flashing like a camera right before my eyes. Yet I think to myself, what do I have to show for it? I’m turning 17 this year but nothing feels different other than the fact that I now have a new number to answer specific questions with. Mother has decided to throw me a party even though I really didn’t want one, but the look of excitement on her face when she threw the idea out to me left me unable to reject her.So here we are, Mother with a giant smile plastered on her face welcoming her guests, Father in the back hanging out with whoever has already arrived, Brother in the living room being coddled by grandparents, and I left to figure out where to spend the rest of the evening without bothering anyone.​ I wish this day was over​. When the guests attempt to conversate with me I promise I try my best to engage, but it eventually becomes too difficult and tiresome. I’m not trying to be rude and it’s not that I dislike you, but I dislike the setting. Are your questions even genuine? Or do you pity my lonesome being because this day is supposed to be all about me and you feel guilty if you don’t contribute? ​I wish this day was over.​ I don’t want to seem ungrateful so I’m trying to be upbeat like Mother when a guest is near. But I must not be doing a very convincing job because each time I get the same smile. A soft, affiliative one that I’m sure is done out of politeness. Would everyone act this way any other day out of the year towards me? I’m beginning to get more tired and the dark cloud is slipping through.​ I wish this day was over​. I just have to endure a couple more hours, then everyone will leave. The time will reach midnight and I’ll be able to peacefully close my eyes knowing I have more time to make things different before the next one. Just a few more hours until I have 365 more days to make something worthwhile happen so that the next one won’t feel so troublesome. ​I wish this day were over.Everyone’s busy and preoccupied outside at the moment so I’m finally granted some time alone.I’m craving something cheesy but that’s not on the menu for today’s party so I’ll have to be quick so as not to offend Mother and Father’s efforts on dinner. A grilled cheese should be sufficient, quick and easy. Get the cheese, the bread, the butter, and the pan. Turn on the stove and throw everything in. Done. I feel like I can now put up my own front a little while longeragain.​ I wish this day were over​. To the right, in the corner of the entryway is the small table Mother set up for the guests to place their gifts for me. I’m grateful no doubt, but I sincerely wish they hadn’t. Thankfully Mother agreed this year that she wouldn’t make me open them alli n front of her guests, for I believe she too feared I wouldn’t give sufficient reactions to each and every one. Even if I really meant to. All I have left to get through is that dreaded song that forces everybody’s eyes your way as a cake is placed before you and a candle is lit. A candle that expects a wish to be made as it’s blown out, it’s smoke carrying your thoughts out to the universe.​ I wish this day were over. ​Oh no... Mother is giving me that knowing glance. The time has come. If I make it past this everything will be over. I notice a strange smell and my head’s begun to hurt, but I can’t run now because it’s already too late. Father gathers everyone inside to join me as Mother holds my cake. They start the song, she places the dessert, and I’m ready to make my wish. Light it already please, for this one wish I wish every year and I need it to come true. Little birthday candle grant me this thing and this one thing only: that my birthday be over and I at peace... 

      As they had lit the young girl’s candle, on the last line of the song, her birthday wish came true. This would be the last celebration she’d have, last song sung to her, last wish she’d ever make, and last birthday she’d ever get to celebrate. That one little candle would be the last she ever saw. And she hadn’t got the chance to properly blow it out. 

     An hour later... 

    “Officer Brady! There you are, you're late!”

    “Sorry! I got caught up in traffic but I’m here now,” the arriving officer then turned to the tragic scene before him, “Geez, there hasn’t been an incident like this in ages. What happened here Detective?” 

    “A gas explosion, apparently no survivors. From what’s left of them it appears everyone was gathered in the one area we assume the match was lit.” 

   “Was it mass suicide then? What did the firefighters find?”

    “No, looks like it was an unfortunate accident. We asked around the neighborhood, luckily noone else besides those who were inside got hurt, but apparently there was a birthday party happening. From what we got, the family was celebrating their daughter’s 17th.” 

   “That’s horrible. Were we able to find out how the explosion happened? Like what caused it?”

   “Well among the rubble there was a burnt pan with what smelled like cheese on it. So we’re inferring that someone must have made something to eat and forgot to turn off the stove completely, hence the gas leak. Since it was a birthday party and everyone appeared to be gathered in one area, it was most likely time for the birthday cake.”

   “So it was the lighting of the candle then wasn’t it?” the officer replied glumly while the detective nodded in response, “a tragic last wish don’t you think?”

  “A tragic one indeed.” 

 

The End

Our Last Group of Writers!

All Students:  Be sure to read the entries for this group  (May writers).  Everyone is required to comment on at least THREE different pieces of writing.  You must post the comment here on the blog (below the post is the "comments" link to click) AND cut and paste your published comments, complete with dates and time stamps, on to a Word document and turn it in to me by May 14th, on Google Classroom.  You must do both to get credit for comments this month.

Remember, comments must be positive, supportive, constructive, and SPECIFIC.  No "Good Job!" comments, unless you follow that with specific things you thought were done well in the piece.  Show them you actually took the time to read and enjoy their work!