History

Remember nothing and you will become nothing. Those are words to live by.
Bad things will happen. There will be moments when you want to kick yourself upside the head for things you do or say. That's alright. It's perfectly normal.
But when these things happen, we often are revisited by their shame and pain throughout life. If you let this happen, it will destroy you. You will be left hating yourself, stuck in a broken-down shell of depression. Believe me, this is not a place you ever want to be.
But it doesn't have to be this way.
They say it's hard to forgive. Maybe it's true. But for people like me, at least, it's forgiving myself that is most difficult. But you have to. There really is no other way.
You have to accept the past. To do so, you must understand that what you did was wrong (stupid, cruel, dangerous, destructive, whatever it happens to be). Next, you have to find something-- anything-- good that happened. Hold on to it tight, because sometimes it's all you've got. Now you have to laugh or smile about it. Alright, maybe what happened could have been a lot worse. Maybe it was even a little bit funny. Allow the thought that you can make mistakes, just like everyone else. It doesn't make us imperfect. Rather, admitting that we can all make mistakes, even to ourselves, is what makes us truly perfect.
The next step is perhaps the hardest. It is sef-acceptance. Acknowledge the fact that you must accept the past to move into the future. You cannot go through life with a hate-filled and sorrow-filled heart. Because, really, that is no life at all.
It's okay to think badly of what you've done. It's okay to mess up. But it is not okay to continually torment over what has happened. It's done, it's over with, it's time to move on.
Think of it as a lesson. Learn and use those mistakes and events to understand the present and create a better future. This is the reason we learn about history and events that shook our world. So that we do not repeat those mistakes, so that we find a better way to do things.
Once you've done everything neccessary to heal, there is only one thing left to do. And that is to live. Go through life in full acceptance that you are not perfect and are entitled to make mistakes, just like everyone else. Understand that everyone is allowed to be happy in their own way. And always, always, forgive, for it is the only way to heal the wounds of the mind and soul.

Quotes by me

I have a book. It's a special red notebook, in which I write descriptive paragraphs and my deepest thoughts. Sometimes I do quotes. Everything ever done in this book is hand written by me, created by myself alone, written only in pencil. Here are some examples.

"We often mistake invisible for non-existent."

"I know that I should always be myself. But what if I don't know who I am?"

"Why is it that memories of devastation pierce us more deeply than those of elation?"

"Ignorance is the black pit from which stems all cruelty."

"It is both a wonderful and terrible truth that no matter what you do, you will always be yourself."

"Even the dung beetle can be beautiful to the right eyes."

"Inspiration is seeing beauty and turning it into beauty within yourself."

"The bravest person is the one who is afraid and yet decides to face his fears despite this."

"Just when we believe we have seen it all, we realize that we were blind the entire time."

Springtime 2012

Spring, the time when life returns to the land, when the ice melts and flowers bloom, when trees flourish and the butterflies flutter so gracefully past. Everything sings of rebirth, from the twittering of birds to the buzzing of bees. Everywhere you look, there is color. The green of plants and the gold of sun and the lovely azure of the sky. Could nature be any more lovely?

Lexi's Birthday

Yesterday, the 18th of April, was my sister's birthday.
Happy Birthday, Lex!
We didn't do much, seeing as we'll be actually celebrating on friday.
But there is one big thing that happened. I have to tell you in advance, it was not planned, and it is one hundred percent true.
So me and Lex are walking home from school.
Just as we get to the bottom of the steps, Mama yells, "Don't open the door."
We were wondering what was wrong when suddenly something moved, right by the door.
It was an orange cat, crusted through with muck, so thin you'd have thought it was anorexic.
But what really showed was how it was missing chucks of fur, and how there were wounds all over her hind legs.
We looked at each other and slowly took a step back.
We'd often see wild cats around, and were warned about tom cats, and how they might be vicious, rabid, diseased, or otherwise dangerous.
We panicked. "What do we do?" we whispered urgently to each other.
And then something special happened.
The cat looked right at us, and gave a soft, helpless miaow.
"Awww," we chorused.
It just won us over completely.
And we saw the cat with new eyes, saw it's condition with worried eyes.
We went into the house immediately, and spoke with the family.
It turned out that the cat had already won the others over, too.
Dad said that it was a very nice cat. She wanted nothing but to be your best friend.
So we were allowed to touch her, and give her food, and bring her to the garage.
Now she has a bed, a heat lamp, a litter box, food and water, and a loving home, depsite it being in the garage.
Later that day lex looked at me with tears in her eyes, and said, "this is the best birthday present ever."
How could we ever give her up now? She made Lex so happy, and it was great because it was her birthday too.
So the cat-- now dubbed 'Friendly'-- has become a part of the family, if only temporarily.
All in all, it was a happy day for her.

Easter

Lately, I've been thinking about easter. And with it, the horror of Jesus's sacrifice.
It made me feel terrible to think that we murdered him. And why? Out of fear? Out of worry? In any case, it should have seemed rather pointless. He healed, he tought, he saved.
And so what ws the point of his destruction?
Answer: there was none.
It was our own stupidity that killed him.
But, at the same time, I can see his side.
He was more than willing to give his life for us, despite the fact that we were not neccessarily always worthy of such a gift.
I would have done the same for my family, for those that I love.
I can see that you can't watch those you love, those you live for, to let them die a final death, to have them disappear forever.
Why do we remember this sacrifice in particular?
Because it means that every one of us may ressurect, despite our actions. That we will live after death. that, in the end, we truly do not die.
We will be forgiven for all we have done-- and, in that, we can finally forgive ourselves.
But the biggest reason we remember this story when so many others fade away is the knowledge that each and every one of us is loved unconditionally.
As horrible as it may be that someone has to die for us, is it not comforting that there is a person, no matter how far away, that accepts us, that cares for us enough to give his life?
The sad part is, we begin to forget the wonder of such a miracle in the face of gifts and time off work.
That's all a holiday means nowadays... a day off, free time, gifts....
We remember, of course, but, in the light of more current events, does it really mean very much?
May we never forget the love and acceptance given to us. If we forgot about love, would there be anything left for us?

Photo Challenge Cancellation

I never really found the time to update my blog with the photots, and now my camera card is full and I can't take anymore pictures. Sorry it's taken so long to write anything.

Video Art

This first video blew me away, and still continues to do so. This man is absolutely phenomenal. I can't believe that it is a painting. Never mind that, I can't believe that it comes from this planet. His works are absolutely magnificent. Fair warning, though. It's a bit dizzying at the end. Enjoy:

This is a beautiful song,with such descriptive lyrics. As well, it is from Breaking Dawn. I love the books.They are what truly made me a lover of books, and are a major contributing factor to my writing. It's like moral support, knowledge, entertainment, and wonder all wrapped into a beautifully designed little package.

This song is one of the most beautiful, hypnotic, and wonderful I have come across. Taylor Swift is such an amazing artist. She is beautiful and dedicated, and, of all things, herself. This song was written for the Hunger Games. It really is a shame that it was never used, but, nevertheless, we all know that it should have fit in.

From a great movie, Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium. It has such touching themes while still managing to stay fun and loving. This is played by a young girl, Noelle, who was 12 at the time.

P.S. No copyright intended.

Photo-a-Day Challenge

I was searching around for a challenge to do and lucked into this one. My friend Naomi's blog gave me the idea. I meant to do it last month, but by then it was the fourteenth and it was too late to start. But now... Hehe. Excellent opportunity.
So here goes:

Up, the movie. Who doesn't love a giant floating house, propelled by thousands upon thousands of balloons?

An upwards-facing clock hand.

Look up at the ceiling and you see.... (drum roll please)... the light!

The joys of living in an older house. You learn about all sorts of existences.

God

Why do we believe in the Lord?
Well, there are a million reasons. The comforting knowledge that our lives are in good hands. The feeling of safety. The hopeful fact that we are not alone.
But, most of all, the idea that there is always someone out there who cares. There is a person that, despite the fact that you cant see him, is there. You feel him in your heart.
It gives us something to live for, a reason to fight through.
Not everyone is fortunate. Not everyone has someone close to them that loves them unconditionally.
Has anyone here seen the play Split by Bradley Hayward?
If you haven't, here's the basic description: it;s about the way everyone's lives are split apart, and their stories and struggles. It shows bits and pieces of their hardships. In the end, it seems as though everyone can somewhat understand each other.
Some people, like those characters, don't have friends or a loving family. It's terrible, it is true, but that doesn't make it any less real.
I won't deny it. Many people are hard to put up with. But if we didn't at the very least try, are we really any less despicable?
I think that, like in school, we are mostly graded on effort. That means that, if the Lord does exist (not saying he does or doesn't), we aren't really going to get in to trouble if we don't do everything perfectly.
For example, I had a conversation with my mother not long ago, and we discussed how to fulfill the Lord's word.
We can't exactly follow the bible every time. It is impossible.
Also, it was brought to our attention that translations from language to language aren't exact.
So if we were good, loving people, then that would most likely be all that he asked.
We cannot change everything. Perhaps there is nearly nothing we can change.
But...
It's like the movie Pay it Forward. A little boy did these great deeds. Three big things for three different people, asking for nothing in return but to pay it forward. Which means to do the same, three big things for three different people.
What i am getting at is that emotion is like a big chain. A kind act can lead to another. A cruel act can lead to more cruelty.
It is up to us to decide what to pass on. But it is from experience that we learn that life is better lived in kindness. People are less willing to hate a kind person than one who will hurt them.
Also, like that little boy from the movie, the Lord doesn't seem to look for any reward. It seems to be enough of a reward to see a chain of goodness linking us all together.

Natural Beauty

I am one of those people who think that people are generally much more beautiful when they are fully natural. No implants, no tatoos, and no makeup. Especially the last.
What we don't understand is that, in most cases, it doesn't matter what things look like. We don't need plastic surgery. We don't need digital editing. We don't have to become anorexic to look better.
For example, the most beautiful person in the world is there next to you. You have a conversation. If every word that comes out of their mouth is foul, you don't really want to be near them, no matter how good they look.
Say you have a very-- pardon my rudity-- ugly person. Tentatively, you say hello. You have a conversation. They could be the loveliest person in the world. All it takes to get to know each other is a simple smile, a shy hello.
If you think of it, no relationship can truly thrive on looks alone. I mean, what if there was a fire and suddenly that person were disfigured. You lose the relationship. So there really is no point to live in fear and paranoia and empty, shallow nothingness.
A true friend, a really good one, will never care of how you look. Your lover will never bother much with appearance. One may say that love is blind. But it is not. It simply causes you to find beauty where before there may not have been a reason to look.
Therefore, to represent natural beauty, I present you with these pictures. They were not edited, or fixed, or changed in any way. It is just nature in it's most natural state.

The World of Horrors

The world is full of awful things, there is no denying. The hurt, the pain, the crimes that happen on a daily basis are unforgivable, terrible, horrific.
But there's more. Never mind the murder of an innocent person, the torture of a blameless child, the agony we face every single day... there is always more, it seems.
I mean things like the holocaust, the african slavery, the residential schools. Abuse, neglect, mis-directed hatred, the cruelty that no one should have to face.
Why do we do these things? To feel strong? To make another understand? To get even?
Well, there are easier ways. The problem is, we never use them.
I will never understand how a person can punish a nation for one man's crimes.
In my family, I have seen and heard of pain. I have seen tears, I have felt my own horror in hearing the awful, painful stories.
I hate it. I absolutely, without a doubt, loathe it.
It is unfair. No one, absolutely no person on the planet, should be treated this way.
These casualties, these events, make me hate myself, make me despise human beings as a race.
We have no purpose in living if all we do is destroy everything around us.
And these things affect everyone.
How many people have commited suicide, have slit their wrists, or resorted to extremes like drugs or alcohol to escape the horror of their pasts. There is nothing we can do to right our wrongs. It's useless to deny that we have destroyed one another very, very thoroughly.
The only thing we can do is prevent it from happening. We must listen to our souls, and do what is right. We must act in love. That's all it takes in most cases.
For example, a child would much rather listen to someone who is kind to them, against someone who yells at them and abuses them, just like anyone.
We have to be able to do the good thing, no matter how hard it may be.
We have to flip the situation around in our heads. What if it was us who was taken from our homes to be abused or neglected? If it was your mother who was murdered, or your child who commited suicide because of horror inflicted on them?
It's not so pleasant from that point of view most of the time, is it?
Now try this: say it was you who was treated kindly in spite of everything that was done to you, everything you have done to others? What if you were the one respected and accepted? If you had love and goodness surrounding you?
It is easy to see which is easier to bear.
There is a saying that goes a little like this: 'If you don't want it done to you, don't do it to another.'
And another, 'If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all.'
These are things to live by. Both are marks of compassion, of understanding. These are things that people, in general, lack. They are things that we must, no matter what, have, because, if we didn't, we would have no regard for each other whatsoever and there would be no more of anything.
If we coudn't relate to each other, if we couldn't understand one another's sides, then there would be no reason to abstain from hurting those around us.
Sometimes bad things happen. They happen for a reason. We must find that reason, and put it to work.
Teach love, understand one another's pain, be kind and compassionate.
Because, in the end, it may be all the we've got.

Ice Age Humour

I am currently watching Ice Age with my sisters. There are some great lines I thought I would share.First...
Scene: Buck has skulls on each limb.
Skull one: 'We'll never survive, it's too dangerous by day.'
Skull two: 'But it's even more dangerous by night.'
Skull one: 'Plus their guide is a lunatic.'
Skull two: 'What, Buck? He's totally wacko.'
Buck: 'I am not!'
Skull one: 'Totally bonkers.'
Skull three: 'And his feet smell!'
Buck: 'Shut up!'
Skull three: 'You shut up.'
Buck: attacks the skull, 'Why you!' 'Ha! I've got you now!'
Manny: 'He's strangling his own foot....We should really get moving.'
Skull three: 'And give Rudy a midnight snack? Not likely.'
Buck: 'The skull is right. Now who's hungry?'
Skull three: 'I am!'
Buck: 'You don't need the calories!'

And:
Buck: '....The monster.'
Crash: 'Monster?'
Buck: 'I call him... Rudy.'
Manny: 'Oh, that's a relief. I thought it would be something intimidating, like Tim, or Sheldon.'

Also:
Manny: 'So when exactly did you lose your mind?'
Buck: 'Three months ago, actually. I woke up one morning and was married to a pineapple. An ugly pineapple. But I loved her.'

As well as:
Buck: 'Now I'll tell you the story of how I used a sharpened clam shell to turn a T-Rex into a T-Rachel.'
Manny: 'I think that's enough fairy tales for one night.'

And last of all:
Buck: 'It smells like a busom's butt fell off and then got sprayed by a bunch of skunks.'
Diego: 'That's Sid.

Finding Hapiness

Life can be hard sometimes. Sometimes you feel like giving up comepletely and letting the world fend for itself.
But we couldn't do that. Deep inside of us, we think that, and a little voice in our head says, 'but you are still needed.'
You know this is true, and so, no matter how unwillingly, you try to keep going.
Feeling downcast every now and then is normal.
But we have to find a way to become normal again when these things happen.
This fix is happiness. But how to find it?
Happiness stems from places where love resides.
It can be a friend or family member, a beautiful sunset, a fun task, a good meal, a simple smile.
 For me, happiness is found in places where I see beauty, and kindness, and love. It is mainly in my family, my handful of friends, the teachers in the schools, a kind act, music, writing, hugs from loved ones, and knowing that I am loved and being able to return that love.
Hapiness is not neccessarily easy. It can require work. A lot of work.
When you feel depressed... it is as though there is nothing in the world that understands you. It feels empty in the depths of your soul. You may feel worthless, unloved, unworthy, hated, misunderstood, and angry, along with every other bad feeling known to us.
But we are not alone. Someone, somehwhere, really does love us. We must acknowledge this.
Because we, as humans, can be very weak. There is nothing wrong with this... as long as we also know how to be strong.
Everyone is strong in one way or another. We rarely realise it, but we are all strong in at least one thing.
You may be a good listener, you may be good at handling tough situations. Maybe you have talents in woodworking,or aren't afraid of heights.
I mean, you can be good at blowing your nose.
If that's your strength, all the better for you. No snot will dare try to congest you.
My point is, you have to look at the bright side of every situation. We are all loved. We are all talented. We are all worthwhile in one way or another. And life is beautiful, just as long as you are willing to find the beauty in it.

Sunset

My favourite pictures are of sunset. All of these were taken then.

Maybe it's something about how beautiful it is, and how every day, every second, has something different about it.

Something about how, even though it means that the sun is about to leave us, it also means that it is coming back, bright and beautiful, the next day.

It seems impossible that it comes back differently every time, and yet, is it not true that we, as humans, are different, every day, every second?

And is it not equally true that the physical changes matter little? The true wonder is seeing and understanding the changes that go on in our minds, our hearts, and our souls.

And, to me, the most wonderous change is seeing and finding love where before there had been none.

bullying

Bullying hurts. It sucks.It has no point in life but to cause us misery. Or so it seems.
When people feel pain, especially when inflicted by another, they feel that if the person felt what they were going through they would stop.
Fair enough. In many cases, this works.
However, in most cases, the truth is that the person who is hurting you is feeling just as much pain as you are.
I was bullied. When I first started school, there was a person in my class who was very cruel to me. She hurt me emotionally, physically, and quite deeply. I knew that she was being mean.
But what I didn't know was the reason.
Some family memebers were treating her unkindly as well, and so to feel strong she hurt me.
But who does this help? No one, that's who.
This person was went away to a rehabilitaion of sorts.
When she came back, she appologized and asked for forgiveness.
And right away, I accepted and we became friends.
I was just a little three-year-old.
But, sometimes, age is not a marker of wisdom.
Perhaps we should take a leaf out of a child's book and place it in our own.
Consider the fact that they (people who hurt you) could be feeling pain as well. Try to forgive them, and understand the situation.
I understand that this is no easy feat. And yet, it is doubly difficult to maintain a grudge, thus making everyone miserable.
If there was just a little more love in the world, just a tad more understanding, would these things happen?
There is no way to know. Not unless we do anything about it.
When obstacles are placed in our path, it is usually for our own good. It is to shape us into who we are meant to be. It doesn't seem like it most of the time.
But if you search for that tiny flicker of hope in what seems an unpenetrable darkness, you may find that the light it brings is even brighter than it once was.

First Post

Hello.
To those who do not know me, my name is Lee-Amber and I am thirteen years old.
I started this blog, in basic principle, to share my opinions and take on the world around me, as well as to share my writing, photography, and music. Please understand that these are my opinions and I completely understand if you do not agree.
I hope that these posts give you food for thought and make your day a little brighter. Thank-you.