What is happiness?

Sonnet 98 by William Shakespeare (1609)

								From you have I been absent in the spring When proud-pied April, dress’d in all his trim, Hath put a spirit of youth in every thing, That heavy Saturn laugh’d and leap’d with him. Yet nor the lays of birds, nor the sweet smell Of different flowers in odour and in hue, Could make me any summer’s story tell, Or from their proud lap pluck them where they grew: Nor did I wonder at the lily’s white, Nor praise the deep vermilion in the rose; They were but sweet, but figures of delight, Drawn after you, you pattern of all those. Yet seem’d it winter still, and you away, As with your shadow I with these did play.

Today is a gift, that’s why they call it the present

Little drops of water, little grains of sand

Make the mighty ocean and the peaceful land.

Thus the little minutes humble though they be

Make a mighty ocean of eternity.

Why do we consider twenty-four hours to be a day when a day is actually the period of time between dawn and dusk? Why do we have seven days in a week instead of eight? What’s the reason for time? Does time exist without the existence of a human being, who interprets what time is - with his human consciousness? Simply put, does time exist without someone reading the clock?

I have always been curious to find out some basic answer to a very simple question: what is time? I have read several theories on time but time cannot be understood generally with theories alone. Many philosophers have defined time. Newton has defined time as a dimension in which events occur in sequence, one after another. Einstein has proved that time is relative. Similarly, Kant and Leibniz have defined time as neither an event nor a thing whereas they claimed it can never be measured for just because we have a calendar or a clock doesn’t mean that we have more or less time.

The cycle of human life revolves around the sun. As sun rises and sets every day, every individual with some exceptions wakes up and goes to bed. It is apparent that we live in time-space. Every instant of our time is like a flowing river. The moments that we share with friends, loved ones and family, once gone, cannot come back. These moments are then stored in the form of images in our brain. These images float around like the pendulum every now and then.

For example, I have realized that my childhood days cannot come back again. Now they are stored in my memory in the form of images. Time waits for no one and it surely will make us old men. My granny when she was sixty years old told me it was just like yesterday that she was a girl. Occasionally, I bump into my old friends and classmates. Seeing them I could feel like what my granny said.

 In life men are controlled by time. They are always fighting against it. One must learn to make use of time to its maximum. A man may waste ten years and the next ten years may go down to the drain. Have you ever thought of how many years left you have? Time is precious so one must control it well. Use it for working out things that may benefit mankind in the end. Use it in the right way and you will gain too. Appreciate your love ones and don't take them for granted. Remember with every sunrise and sunset, a day is gone behind you. Even if one cries for it, it will not return. Men may be of high intelligence yet no one can rewind the clock to suit them. Estimate the time that you have and contribute every minute if you can. Fulfill the purpose of life so that it will not be a loss and an illusion of the past.

Tick, tock, tick, tock. Most of the time we can never seem to get enough of it. Sometimes it flies, sometimes it crawls. To realize the value of a year, ask a student who received a failing grade. To comprehend the value of a month, ask a mother who gave birth to a premature baby. To appreciate the value of a week, ask the person in need of a new heart. To know the value of an hour, ask the lovers who are waiting to meet. To fathom the value of a minute, ask a person who missed the train. To actualize the value of a second, ask the person who just avoided being hit by the train. To measure the value of a millisecond, ask the person who won a gold medal in the Olympics.

Before making any further statement on time, one needs to understand what time is. Time allows people to perceive motion. Furthermore, people perceive it differently. It is extremely important to understand that the concept of time is not easy to explain and not easy to comprehend even among each other. And every culture has its own time-concept. Our country is not an exception. We can be as pragmatic as Americans. That is schedules are rather important for us. But at the same time we are like South Asians and sometimes we waste our time talking to people eager to find out unnecessary information. Some people are quite punctual and schedule their time rather thoroughly. But some of them tend to slacken and instead of suiting to time they relax as if there were years and years to come.

From time to time we face the problem of a wrong handling of time. Many individuals cannot plan, that is why they are always late making the surrounding people cool their heels. An old friend of mine once told me she had been invited to a wedding by her relatives. She was as always punctual and came in time – at five o’clock. She waited for half an hour but no one came. An hour passed and the guests began to arrive. She asked the reason of it – and was astonished. The wedding should have begun at six o’clock. The young couple on purpose appointed the ceremony an hour earlier because their relatives and friends often used to keep the newlyweds waiting.

I wouldn’t say that our local time system is somewhat different from that in other countries. In my opinion it depends on the way one is brought up, that is on the family background. For instance, as a kid I got to school by bus. It took me about twenty minutes. And I was never late for classes. Some of my classmates however lived nearby but they were not that punctual.

The reason was I had been taught to appreciate my time and time of others. I learned to feel it and plan it properly.

In my quest for the basic understanding of time, I have come to the conclusion that time is neither everything nor anything. Time might be totality of events as Newton has said at one point and relatively in motion as Einstein has said at other point.

After meticulous reflections I have also understood that to feel that you have not wasted your life you need to go and see the world. That will widen and enlarge your heart and mind. Only then can you feel extensiveness in this narrow living space of the society. There’s no going back. We must live in the present and we should invest time carefully as to receive the most we can in health, happiness, love and success. The clock is running, so make the most of today. As an old saying goes: today is a gift, that’s why they call it the present.

The problems of the young: low incomes, housing problems, lack of entertainments, etc.

Youth is the best time in life of a man. But at the same time youth is the most difficult time, because the most important decisions must be made. Problems of young people are among the sharpest in the world. An economic situation in many countries results in unemployment of young people. The burning issues are as well spending their free time, relations with parents and unhappy love.

Youth is the time when a person is trying to find his place in the world. And while searching he or she comes across different problems which are as sharp as those of the adults. The youth of the twenty first century face almost the same the problems which were acute to their parents when they were young. One of them is a generation gap.

Every generation is unique in its experience. It has its own ideals and a system of values concerning every aspect of human life. Adults always complain that the young are not what they were. These words are repeated from generation to generation. Undoubtedly it is true. In fact today the young are better educated. They grow up more quickly. They derive joy from more freedom. At present the young do not blindly accept the ideals of their parents. For them everything that the adults bear in mind is past history. And this is inevitable, because different generations take different directions. Moreover, the young look forward and the old people look backward. The adult always teach the young how to live. They apply old standards to the new way of life. The past is hanging over them preventing them from appreciating the things around them anew. The young think that the adults have lost touch with everything that is important in life. They are right, because what is important to the adults is the past. The young know what they want. They prefer to make their own mistakes rather than to listen to the warnings of the adults. The past exists to help the young to avoid unnecessary blurs. But they do want to have them. The young want to live their own life. They want to overcome their own difficulties without turning back. Unfortunately the life of the young is frequently determined by the adults. The young and adults have different points of view concerning everything. And it generates the conflict.

Another problem of the youth is the relationship of the young people with their friends and beloved. A person can be on good terms with his or her classmates or university groupmates but have only one or two real friends. The problem of love is very important for the young too. Today they young fall in love when they reach the age of Romeo and Juliet. Romanticism and idealism very often accompany the love of the young. Their belief in eternal love can end dramatically. Today nobody doubts about the depth of their passion. It is regrettable, but the young are not always ready to have stable relations. For a happy family life two people must understand and respect each other.

It should be said that the young have other problems as well. They are concerned with education, money, employment, hobby, spending their free time, communication, and the like. And of course one of the most urgent problems is the accommodations problem. Few young people in our country have their own apartments. In the main they share the apartments with their parents even after getting married.

The next problem that young people face is to choose their future profession. It means that they have to choose the future of their life. It's not an easy task to make the right choice of a job.

One of the urgent problems of the young is unemployment. The percentage of unemployed youth in the total number of the jobless is high. Some young people see no way out and commit suicide. From time to time some may get a hit of luck, but the majority lose their ideals and become disillusioned.

  So, as you see, it is very difficult to be young nowadays, as, indeed, it always was. But you only can be young once, are some wonderful things can happen only when you’re young. So, you are to enjoy youth while it lasts.

Outstanding People & Outstanding Abilities: Connie Talbot has been singing since she was 18 months old

Connie Talbot (born 20 November 2000) is an English child singer from Streetly, Metropolitan Borough of Walsall, West Midlands. Connie is best known as the gap toothed 6 year old who stole the nations heart when she stepped out on stage and sang solo in front of the judges of 'Britains Got Talent’. She has been singing since she was 18 months old. The song she is most known for, “Somewhere Over The Rainbow”, was the song she performed at her grandmother’s funeral at three years old.

She rose to fame in 2007 when she reached the final of the television talent show Britain's Got Talent. Talbot was supposed to sign with Sony BMG but the label pulled out of the deal due to her age.

Talbot signed with Rainbow Recording Company and released her debut album Over the Rainbow in the UK on 26 November 2007. The album was re-released 18 June 2008 with a new track listing, and the first single from the album, a cover of Bob Marley's "Three Little Birds", was released on 10 June.

Despite its negative critical reception, Over the Rainbow has sold over 250,000 copies worldwide and reached number one in three countries. Since the initial album release, Talbot has performed publicly and on television in Europe, the U.S. and across Asia, where her music had gained recognition through YouTube. Her second album, Connie Talbot's Christmas Album, was released on 24 November 2008; her third, Holiday Magic, was released in late 2009.

On top of her musical career, Talbot continues to attend primary school and lives in Streetly with her family. She lives with her mother, Sharon, her father Gavin, a self-employed property maintenance engineer, her brother Josh, and her sister, Mollie. Talbot sang "Over the Rainbow", her signature song, at her grandmother's funeral, because she and her grandmother had enjoyed watching The Wizard of Oz together. Talbot drew confidence in Britain's Got Talent from the belief that her grandmother was watching, and vowed to win the show in her memory.  Despite Talbot speaking positively of the effects of her fame, her parents spoke of a darker side, including having to change their phone number and hire a bodyguard for their daughter.

IT which are the most effective in EFL class

Nowadays teaching English has become a great tool to improve job prospects and sustain life in a competitive world. It is the need of this hour to implement modern technologies to upgrade the level of English teaching in all respects. It would also ease students' mentality to learn more about English at its best. The English teacher has to play a vital role in bringing the students up to face the competitive world. That’s why modern technologies are quiet useful for them.

Dramatic advances in computers, in digital memory, in internet resources, in audio and visual transmission, in virtual imaging, and in wireless communication have created intriguing new possibilities for the use of technology in the teaching of English. Web publishing, digital archives, digital video, electronic conferencing, blogging, wikis, podcasting, real simple syndication feeds, on-line gaming, virtual reality worlds - these are the potential new tools for teaching and learning English. This approach shows the new technologies as evolutionary, rather than revolutionary.

The use of internet has brought many dramatic changes in English teaching. The contemporary students are upgrading their knowledge by surfing on the net a lot. If the teacher is able to share something new and inspiring, students would pay more attention and concentration to English. Sharing of important ideas through community services would enhance teachers one more level up. Innumerable English learning videos are available through well-known search engines and websites. If one makes use of these, English teacher can make his lecture/teaching more effective and inspiring one. Instead of continuous teaching using black board teachers can use smart boards.

This essay takes a look at blogging, which is becoming increasingly popular as a language learning tool. It gives an overview of blogging websites, suggests why you might want to use them, and gives some practical advice on setting up blogs for use with your own classes.

* What is a blog?

* Types of blogs used in language teaching

* Why blog?

* Where to start

* Tips for managing learner blog settings

* Keeping students interested

* Some ideas for activities

* Pitfalls to watch out for

* Advanced feature

What is a blog?

A blog (short for weblog) is a frequently updated website that often resembles an online journal. It's so easy to create and update a blog - it requires only basic access to the Internet, and a minimum of technical know-how. Because of this, it is one of the easiest ways to publish student writing on the WWW. It's almost as easy as sending an email.

Nowadays, blogs can also display photos and some people are using them with audio and even video, but this article will concentrate on the basics, showing how a simple text-based blog can be used to great effect with your English language learners.

Types of blogs used in language teaching:

* The Tutor Blog is run by the teacher of a class. The content of this type of blog can be limited to syllabus, course information, homework, assignments, etc. Or the teacher may choose to write about his or her life, sharing reflections about the local culture, target culture and language to stimulate online and in-class discussion. In this type of blog, students are normally restricted to being able to write comments to the teacher's posts.

* The Class Blog is a shared space, with teacher and students being able to write to the main area. It is best used as a collaborative discussion space, an extra-curricular extension of the classroom. Students can be encouraged to reflect in more depth, in writing, on themes touched upon in class. Students are given a greater sense of freedom and involvement than with the tutor blog.

* The Learner Blog is the third type of blog and it requires more time and effort from the teacher to both set up and moderate, but is probably the most rewarding. It involves giving each student an individual blog. The benefit of this is that this becomes the student's own personal online space. Students can be encouraged to write frequently about what interests them, and can post comments on other students' blogs. For examples, see the links to learner blogs from the class blog and tutor blog examples above.

Of course, teachers who decide to use blogs often use a combination of Tutor or Class blog and Learner blogs, with hyperlinks connecting them.

Why blog?

So, why should you blog with your students? There are many reasons why you may choose to use weblogs with students. One of the best reasons is to provide a real audience for student writing. Usually, the teacher is the only person who reads student writing, and the focus of this reading is usually on form, not content. With weblogs, students can find themselves writing for a real audience that, apart from the teacher, may include their peers, students from other classes, or even other countries, their parents, and potentially anyone with access to the Internet.

Here are some other reasons for using blogs:

* To provide extra reading practice for students.

This reading can be produced by the teacher, other students in the same class, or, in the case of comments posted to a blog, by people from all over the world.

* As online student learner journals that can be read by their peers.

The value of using learner journals has been well documented. Usually they are private channels between teacher and student. Using a blog as a learner journal can increase the audience.

* To guide students to online resources appropriate for their level.

The Internet has a bewildering array of resources that are potentially useful for your students. The problem is finding and directing your learners to them. For this reason, you can use your tutor blog as a portal for your learners.

* To increase the sense of community in a class.

A class blog can help foster a feeling of community between the members of a class, especially if learners are sharing information about themselves and their interests, and are responding to what other students are writing.

* To encourage shy students to participate.

There is evidence to suggest that students who are quiet in class can find their voice when given the opportunity to express themselves in a blog.

* To stimulate out-of-class discussion.

A blog can be an ideal space for pre-class or post-class discussion. And what students write about in the blog can also be used to promote discussion in class.

* To encourage a process-writing approach.

Because students are writing for publication, they are usually more concerned about getting things right, and usually understand the value of rewriting more than if the only audience for their written work is the teacher.

* As an online portfolio of student written work.

There is much to be gained from students keeping a portfolio of their work. One example is the ease at which learners can return to previous written work and evaluate the progress they have made during a course.

* To help build a closer relationship between students in large classes.

Sometimes students in large classes can spend all year studying with the same people without getting to know them well. A blog is another tool that can help bring students together.

Where to start

There are lots of sites where you can set up a blog for free, but perhaps the best known and one of the most reliable and simple blogging tools to use with students is Blogger (http://blogger.com). It takes only fifteen minutes from setting up an account to publishing the first post using this valuable tool.

The teacher sets up the tutor blog or a class blog. With a Class blog, students will need to be invited to participate by e-mail. Learner blog accounts can either be set up beforehand by the teacher, or done at the same time with a whole class in a computer room. The former gives the teacher more control of student accounts, but some advantages of the latter is that learners are given more choice (of username, design of the blog, etc) and a greater sense of 'ownership' of their new virtual writing space.

Tips for managing learner blog settings

* Use the 'Settings' in Blogger to add yourself (under Members) as Administrator of the learner blog. This is invaluable if students later forget usernames or passwords, and can also help if inappropriate posts are published

* Make sure you change the setting and turn the 'Comments' feature on. This will allow the others to respond to things the students write on their learner blogs.

* Also in 'Settings', you will find an option to receive an email whenever a student publishes their blog. This will save you time regularly checking learner blogs to see if any of your students have posted. Another way of being informed of this is to use the 'Site Feed' function (discussed further below).

Keeping students interested

Many teachers who start to use blogs find the novelty factor is enough to create student interest in starting to use them. However, blogs work best when learners get into the habit of using them. If learners are not encouraged to post to their blogs frequently, then they can quickly be abandoned. A failed experiment. Here, the teacher in the role of facilitator is vital for maintaining student interest. Here are some ideas to how this can be done:

* Respond to student posts quickly, writing a short comment related to the content. Ask questions about what the learner writes to create stimulus for writing.

* Students should be actively encouraged to read and respond (through the commenting feature of the blog) to their classmates.

* Writing to the blog could be required, and it may form part of the class assessment. Students should be encouraged to post their writing homework on the blog instead of only giving it to the teacher.

Some ideas for activities

* Mystery guest. Invite another teacher or someone from another school or country as a mystery guest to your blog. Ask the students to engage him or her in dialogue and guess their identity.

* Project work. A blog is an ideal space for developing a project, especially if the project is a shared one between several classes or even classes in different countries.

* International link-ups. Contact another educational establishment to see if they are interested in a joint blogging project. Students can write about their lives, culture, interests, etc, and be encouraged to read about the other class and respond by writing comments.

* Photoblog. If you plan on using photographs in your blog, there are lots of tools available to help you. Flickr (http://www.flickr.com) makes publishing photographs to blogs easy. If you want to make photographs central to the blog, however, it is better to use a blogging tool such as Buzznet (http://www.buzznet.com), which is a photo publishing tool and blog rolled into one.

Pitfalls to watch out for

* Unwanted comments. To avoid unwanted comments, you can always restrict comments to people in the class or to registered bloggers.

* Correction. It is difficult to use a blog for correcting students. Student written work can always be corrected before posting to the blog, or you can do class correction sessions using work published in the blogs.

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What Kind of Music Touches the Strings of My Heart

“Music is enough for a lifetime,

but a lifetime is not enough for music.”

(Sergei Rachmaninoff)

Music is everywhere for those who want to hear it. It is the language of a soul. Music is one of the most constant surroundings we encounter on a daily basis. Can you think of a day without music? We can hear it everywhere: in the streets and at home, over the radio and on TV, in the shops and in the parks. We also like having background music while we are doing some work.

But what is music? Specialists explain that music isn't only a combination of pleasant sounds. It is an art which reflects life. Music is an amazing opportunity to express oneself.

Music is as old as humanity. The history of where music originated is rather obscure and we cannot identify the exact time, date, or even era. That’s because music has always existed and how can you find a creation point of something that’s been here since the beginning? Music isn’t something that has been created, it’s rather something that is a source of creation.

The first music that appeared on Earth is the music of nature. All you have to do is just to listen to it with all your soul. It is the music of nature that touches the strings of my heart.

Every single day, as darkness retreats, and the magical hour of dawn approaches, a single bird starts chirping and all the other birds join the chorus. The soft cooing of doves and pigeons and the melancholic call of the cuckoo greets each sunrise. They have a whole range of musical notes at their disposal. Some seem to gossip and exchange news, some chirp and twitter in a buoyant rhythm. Their morning symphony is extremely complex and spontaneous.

As the day progresses and evening approaches, the morning singers give seat to evening performers. The croaking frogs, the hooting night owls and the nightingales with their melodious nocturnal songs take centre stage and sing their songs for the dusky sky and the velvety night.

It’s not only the birds and the animals that enrich the nature with their tunes. The environment plays a significant role in creating its own rhythmic tempo and harmonious melody as well. The crashing of large waves upon rocks, the gentle lapping of lake water, the bubbling streams, the gushing descent of a waterfall, rustling of grass and leaves in a slight breeze and the pitter patter of raindrops create a magic of their own. Music in nature is the joy of being alive.

I believe more than ever in the extraordinary power of music. Do you remember when you first fell in love? Was there a song associated with that love? When you hear that song now, don't you think of that person and actually remember what you felt? Maybe you even cry.

Frankly speaking, I am keen on playing the musical instruments and singing. The piano is my best friend. I can't think of anyone better to spend my time with. It helps me to relax when I'm tired, and entertains me when I'd like to have fun. I find it fascinating and overwhelming.

It goes without saying that music plays a very important role in people's lives. It reflects our moods and emotions. Music appeals to our hearts and transforms our feelings. It is a source of joy, tears…  It conquers our souls and enriches our minds. It makes us come alive. Besides, listening to music is the perfect way to spend free time and not to feel bored. You can hardly find a person who doesn't like or need music and who never sings or dances. Music is beauty in sounds, it is our magic source of inspiration. Music performs unimaginable wonders and is fundamental to a human's well-being. So make music a part of your life and feel the difference.

The author of the essay is Brodnikova Helen.

Love is the most wonderful feeling granted to our hearts!!!

I'm your star in the foggy night,

I am the Sun giving you light,

I am the air that you breathe,

I am cold ice that makes your blood freeze. 

I am the sun leaning on the top of the mountain,

I am a bird sitting in a hand of a tree,

I am wind kissing you with millions of drops of a fountain,

I am lovely voice setting you free.

Have you ever loved- I have,

But that love was not mutual.

He was a painter.

I loved him.

But he loved Nature 

with rackless power of waterfall.

Have you ever been loved-

I have been.

But that love wasn't also mutual.

He was an ordinary man,

And he loved me,

But I loved the painter,

And he loved Nature,

And Nature loved us all.

Brodnikova Helen

When Friendship Turns to Love

I didn't want to depart my home town, which I've been settling ever since the day I was born. Neither do I want to leave my school, relatives, and most importantly my best friend Samuel.
Sam and I had been best friends since elementary school. I still recall the day when we first met; it was the first day of grade 1 and we were in the same class. Unintentionally I collided with his head trying to reach for my pencil that had been knocked out on the floor. Fortunately I didn’t know that he was trying to reach for it too. From that time on we got close, share lunch, talk and became best friends. We’d hang around together as often as I’d hang around with my family. He’s like my brother; a brother who I could lean to when I have problems, a brother who’s always there for me when I’m in trouble, a brother who loved me for me… at least as a sister. What he didn’t know is that I am deeply in love with him ever since the day we first met; which saddens me the most, assuming that he only thinks of me as his sister.
In sixth grade, in spite of this, things changed. We had been together for 5 implausible years, but this year is diverse. I was moving. Moving far away from him, it’s like a new world I’m getting myself into. My deep profoundness love for him is still there and I don’t want to leave him. We agreed to call each other at least twice a week, send letters and emails if we have time, and stay in touch with each other. Except that, it wouldn’t be the same, it wouldn’t be like old times, we wouldn’t see each other except in pictures, we couldn’t do anything together now. We couldn’t be there for each other, all the time anymore. Furthermore we are two continents away from each other. And I wanted to confess. Tomorrow, I decided.
The day of the departure came but he was nowhere in sight. I tried calling his cell but no one was answering it. I was so worried and sad that he forgot about my departure. I left the country heartbroken and thinking that maybe he had a good excuse why he didn’t go.
One year had passed and still no sign of him. I tried calling his home every once in a while but his mother would always say, “Oh he’s not here, but I’ll tell him you called!” and I would be so depressed. Sometimes I just think that he’s been avoiding my calls. But why I wondered
I was going off to grade 9. I hadn’t been getting any emails or letters from him; or hadn’t been getting any at all. I tried to tell myself that, “Its okay Katherine, he’s just busy that’s all.” However I had my doubts. What if he’s not busy at all? What if he forgot about me? What if he got a girlfriend and been too busy to talk or even stay in touch with me? A lot of what ifs’ are on my head. I tried emailing him and writing letters but there was no reply. What if all my what ifs’ came true? Then maybe I should be pleased, pleased for the reason that he’s happy. On the contrary why didn’t he tell me?
2 years had passed and still no sign of his letters or emails or phone calls. I tried to get over him. I really tried but I can’t. I just couldn’t forget the fact that I love him.
One week later, I received a letter from his home address, accusing it was him I ripped it open. I was so anxious to read his letter that I skipped a couple of parts, that I thought wasn’t that important. Unfortunately, it is important. It says that he’s sick and is in a coma. I was so shocked to see this that I ran inside to tell my parents to get me a ticket back to see him. Luckily they approved and booked me the latest flight.
I preceded to the hospital his in. I was so worried to see him, concerned that he’s undergoing from a poor health. When I got in his room my heart raised and kept thumping on my chest. I noticed him lying there with bandages all over his body. I felt sorry for him. All this time I was blaming him of overlooking me while his being diagnosed. I had a talk with his mom and she told me what had happened to him. She assumed that he was crossing the street while he was writing in a book and a truck had hit him. That book was sadly addressed to me, it has no title its cover is blank. I opened it and started reading the first page.
September 17, 200*
“This is the day I left.” I thought.
Katherine left today. I’m so upset to see her leave. That’s why I didn’t go to the airport at all. But I tried to go realizing that I had to confess my love for her before she leaves but I was too late. I’m going to miss her so bad. All the good times we had will never be forgotten. I wish I could come with her. I love her so very much.
My tears started falling. I admired him. I was in awe. He made a diary for me starting with the day I left. And what mostly saddened me is the fact that he loved me too. I scanned through pages and read the last page he had written on.
March 26, 200*

I can’t wait for Kath to see what I had done for her. I hope she’ll like it. I just miss her so bad. I wish she was here right now in my arms holding me tight and wishing she wouldn’t be away anymo ---
And it was cut right there. I couldn’t imagine the scene how it happened. I saw a glimpse of him again and a tear fell on my cheeks. I hold his hand so tight. That time I had wished that I hadn’t left and be with him throughout this tough time. There was this throb in my chest. I scanned again and all the other pages are blank. A letter dropped when I was about to close it.
Dear Kath,

If you are done reading my diary I want you to fill out the other half of this book. I miss you so bad, Kath. I’m sorry if I keep missing your calls I was just too busy with work. Yeah, Kath I’m working now so I could surprise you and go there and maybe finish my school there. I can’t wait to see you soon. I’m also sorry that it took me 2 years to get this to you its just that I didn’t know your address there and I had to look for your relatives to tell me your address, and about the email thing I tried to email you back but our computer is really messed up; I ought to get the fix sometime so I could email you. I’m really sorry if you thought that I don’t care about you, I do. I really do. I love you since the first day we met it’s just that I was too scared to confess because it might ruin our friendship and that I think that you only think of me as a brother. I love you Kath, I love you with all my heart and I’m sacrificing everything just to be with you.
With Love,
Sam

By the time I was done reading his letter. I heard a beep it was coming from him. I was stunned. I dropped the book and ran towards him and started calling the nurse.
“Stay with me please, stay with me… don’t leave me please. I can’t let you leave me. Please. I. Love. You.” I cried as the tears fell. I was shaking. I didn’t want him to die. I didn’t want him to leave me. I want him to be here by my side comforting me, and telling me that it was all a joke. But it’s not a joke. It’s reality. He’s dead and here I am living my life through pages in the diary. I filled the rest of the book. I even started a new book since it couldn’t hold all my memories and thoughts of him. And I will always remember him. How he had been a good friend. How he helped me through bad times. How he loved me so much that I didn’t want to let go. I will not forget him. He had been the best inspiration of my life. He is the best of friend anyone could ever have. I will not forget him. I love him.
“C’mon Kath, were going to be late for school!” Mark shouted through our front door. Mark had been my friend since the day I first came to his school. He had been a good friend, almost as good as Sam. He kind of reminds me of Sam. Sometimes when I'm with Mark, I kind of think that Sam sent him to guide me and to be with me just like he did for me when he was alive.
This is a fresh new start and a beginning of an ideal friendship. Or so I thought.

The Guardian Angel

There was this little girl sitting by herself in the park. Everyone passed by her and never stopped to see why she looked so sad. Dressed in a worn pink dress, barefoot and dirty, the girl just sat and watched the people go by. She never tried to speak. She never said a word. Many people passed by her, but no one would stop.

The next day I decided to go back to the park in curiosity to see if the little girl would still be there. Yes, she was there, right in the very spot where she was yesterday, and still with the same sad look in her eyes. Today I was to make my own move and walk over to the little girl. For as we all know, a park full of strange people is not a place for young children to play alone. As I got closer I could see the back of the little girl's dress. It was grotesquely shaped. I figured that was the reason people just passed by and made no effort to speak to her. Deformities are a low blow to our society and, heaven forbid if you make a step toward assisting someone who is different. As I got closer, the little girl lowered her eyes slightly to avoid my intent stare. As I approached her, I could see the shape of her back more clearly.

She was grotesquely shaped in a humped over form. I smiled to let her know it was OK; I was there to help, to talk. I sat down beside her and opened with a simple, "Hello"; The little girl acted shocked, and stammered a "hi"; after a long stare into my eyes. I smiled and she shyly smiled back. We talked until darkness fell and the park was completely empty. I asked the girl why she was so sad. The little girl looked at me with a sad face said, "Because, I'm different"; I immediately said, "That you are!"; and smiled. The little girl acted even sadder and said, "I know." "Little girl," I said, "you remind me of an angel, sweet and innocent."

She looked at me and smiled, then slowly she got to her feet and said, "Really?" "Yes, you're like a little Guardian Angel sent to watch over all people walking by." She nodded her head yes, and smiled.

With that she opened the back of her pink dress and allowed her wings to spread, then she said "I am. I'm your Guardian Angel," with a twinkle in her eye. I was speechless -- sure I was seeing things."

She said, "For once you thought of someone other than yourself. My job here is done;" I got to my feet and said, "Wait, why did no one stop to help an angel?"

She looked at me, smiled, and said, "You are the only one that could see me," and then she was gone.

And with that, my life was changed dramatically.

Happy New Year & Merry Christmas!!!

 New Year’s ReflectionsLooking back on the months gone by,
As a new year starts and an old one ends,
We contemplate what brought us joy,
And we think of our loved ones and our friends.Recalling all the happy times,
Remembering how they enriched our lives,
We reflect upon who really counts,
As the fresh and bright new year arrives.And when we ponder those who do,we immediately think of you.Thanks for being one of the reasons We'll have a Happy New Year! 

 Happy New Year WishMy Happy New Year wish for you
Is for your best year yet,
A year where life is peaceful,
And what you want, you get.A year in which you cherish
The past year’s memories,
And live your life each new day,
Full of bright expectancies.I wish for you a holiday
With happiness galore;
And when it’s done, I wish you
Happy New Year, and many more.

What Do We Love About Christmas? What do we love about Christmas;
Does our delight reside in things?
Or are the feelings in our hearts
The real gift that Christmas brings. It's seeing those we love,
And sending Christmas cards, too,
Appreciating people who bring us joy
Special people just like you.
The Nicest Present Under the tree the gifts enthrall,
But the nicest present of them all
Is filling our thoughts with those who care,
Wanting our Christmas joy to share. To you, whom we're often thinking of,
We send our holiday joy and love. 

Recipe for Christmas All Year Long

Take a heap of child-like wonder
That opens up our eyes
To the unexpected gifts in life—
Each day a sweet surprise. Mix in fond appreciation
For the people whom we know;
Like festive Christmas candles,
Each one has a special glow. Add some giggles and some laughter,
A dash of Christmas food,
(Amazing how a piece of pie
Improves our attitude!) Stir it all with human kindness;
Wrap it up in love and peace,
Decorate with optimism, and
Our joy will never cease. If we use this healthy recipe,
We know we will remember
To be in the Christmas spirit,
Even when it's not December.  By Joanna Fuchs