This I Believe Essay

When life gives you lemons, do you make lemonade? Or do you throw it all away? Life; as broad of a term that it is, is not simple. There are complex and different circumstances that will either hinder or aid you, set backs are normal in everyone's life. How individual humans deal and respond, not react, with these unfortunate set backs is what defines our personality. Do we look at the glass half full, or half empty? Optimism and maturity over ignorance, and laziness proves to serve as a happy and more suitable substitute.

"Feeding a Hunger," by Collete Decker is an inspiring article about a young girl whose dreams and aspirations in a struggling house hold brought upon reality. Growing up with an alcoholic father Collete was faced with hardships early. When Collete was young she had to get a job to help support her family. Living a life style of, "just making it" is not easy, and Collete I believe understood this greatly. So greatly, she realized that the only way she was ever going to live the life she desired was if she made education her number one priority. Collete is now living her own dream with a husband and a daughter. Not to mention the store she co-owns with her husband, and the deli/bakery that Collete and her daughter run together.

This article is not "typical" or at all boring to me, it conveys a strong message of how faith leads to triumph. How hard work and perseverance through the set backs allows room for growth and gratitude. Collete is easily relatable to me. What I interpreted through her article is that she has learned to be the type of person where when

they want something, they will endure almost anything to accomplish the end goal. Also, Collete referenced how in public school she took advantage of all they had to offer because she realized that it would be her stepping stone for a brighter future. The whole point of her article and the message she wants to communicate is not that if you get a good job you will make money and live happily ever after, no, it is simply much more than that. It is about experiences and the learning that comes along with mistakes, either the mistakes you have made, or mistakes people close to you have made. Almost anything can be taken and used in your favor if you have the right attitude and desire for it.

"The Hardest Work You Will Ever Do," by Mary Cook is an article about a wife whose death of her fiancé was almost the death of her. Mary had thought that her identity was lost if she could not be of use and purpose. She found that through the love and kindness of her neighbors, she could accept the simple help they were trying to offer her. Mary discovered that by accepting help, it does not mean she is a weak person at all. By surrendering those false inquiries Mary was able to fully grasp the concept of service. Aided by her friends and neighbors Mary recovered from the loss and lives now with a under