Pieces of Me

I babysat a little boy several months ago,
When I'd say, "It's bedtime," he always pleaded, "No!"
I still remember everything we did so well,
I'd let him stay up late then whisper, "I won't tell!"

We usually made cookies, or at least we'd try,
They would burn, and we'd laugh 'til we'd cry!
Movies, popcorn, pillow fights and Nintendo,
Beanie Babies were another favorite, from the 'Ty' Co.

His role model was Superman, how he loved him, too!
No one could've known what this boy would do.
He always brought joy into so many lives.
Why? Oh, why would he have to die?

He loved to play baseball, and sing in the choir,
But he had to give them up because his muscles would tire.
Still, he kept on smiling, through the pain, of course, 
Even when he took a turn for the worse.

After treatments failed and several weeks went by
Home at last, he came...perhaps to die.
Family and friends brought a lot of gifts
And then one day my sister and I went over for a visit.

We watched one of his favorite movies, called Child's Play.
The last time that I saw him was on that day.
Imagine yourself at ten years old meeting your fate.
His whole family was with him on this sad date.

They all hugged him and said not to be scared
They told stories and memories that they all had once shared
He is an angel now, in a much better place
And I doubt that anybody will ever forget his smiling face.

Now he is home, and at peace once more
How I wish that I could come once again to his door
I will not forget him, I don't think I ever can
He was a real-life hero...my little Superman.

- KariAnne McCaffrey

Sometimes life can be a pain
When your life stays the same
I've had cancer not once but twice
And it isn't very nice.

I hate cancer really a lot
It ties my life up in a knot
Sometimes I think the doctors lie
At times I think I'm going to die.

Before I end up in a coffin
I'll do my fun things soon and often
I had my transplant - it wasn't fun
It's hard to believe that I'm finally done.

Sometimes I wish I could roll over and die
Now I think I'm going to cry
When you're there you have to roll with the punches
Especially when it comes to their nasty lunches.

When I went to receive what my dad had to give
I was the second to do it, but the first to live
It was hard for us all - it could make you hysterical
But if you think about it...I'm a living miracle.

- Ryan Alexander

I thought she was my best friend
The best one I've ever had
Instead I found out the truth
And what I learned was sad.

We still call each other friends 
But I feel we're far apart
Though we see each other every day
I have a broken heart.

She has made new friends
And I have made some, too.
We are talking less and less
And inside I'm cold and blue.

Each and every night I pray
That she will finally see
How much I want our friendship back
And how much she means to me.

- Whitney M. Baldwin

Excerpt from The Blank Page:

"There is so much more to life than cross-country meets, soccer games, and the transformation from middle-schooler to high-schooler. What matters most is what you make of your life. If how you feel from day-to-day is based up what others think and how they judge you, then your life has no basis. If you are a person who wakes up in the morning and dreads the day ahead, then your life has no meaning.

However, if you wake up every morning eager to start the new day, then your life has meaning, for it has a purpose. My life certainly has a purpose. Every day is a struggle to survive: building new friendships, fixing old ones, learning how to deal with complicated emotions and accepting new surroundings. I find that every day is a journey of finding out who and what you are.

I believe that the question "what is the meaning of life" is too broad. I don't think that anyone will ever truly discover the exact reason why we were put here and what we must do now that we are here. Personally, I do not care to discover the reason. I prefer to leave each day to its own devices.

Every day is an adventure in discovering the meaning of life. It is each little thing that you do that day - whether it be spending time with your friends, running in a cross-country race or just simply staring at the crashing ocean - that holds the key to discovering the meaning of life. I would rather be out enjoying these simple things than pondering them. We may never really discover the meaning of life, but the knowledge we gain in our quest to discover it is truly more valuable."

- Jenni Norman

It was right before the big one and the football player said,
"Excuse me guys for just a sec while I go bow my head."
And in the quiet of that room
The football player prayed,
"Oh God if nothing hear me now
I know that fate is made."

"So help us Lord to win this game,
It's the big one, man, you see,
If we lose this game that's it for us,
Please do this, Lord, for me."

And as his body knelt in prayer,
He looked up to the sky,
"And while I'm here, and have some time,
I need to ask you why?"

"They say you never help teams win,
Just do it once I pray,
We will pay you back in kinder deeds
Or in another way."

"The reason I can't help you win,"
The Lord just then replied,
"Is as you're asking me to win,
So is the other side."

"I'm everybody's father and
I must not take one side,
So games are played all on your own
Or they would all be tied."

"But that doesn't mean you shouldn't pray,"
He answered him with care,
"You can pray that players don't get hurt
And that all the calls are fair."

"And then I won't just watch the game,
I'll bless it with my care,
Because dear son you need to learn
That life's not always fair."

And while the player heard this voice,
He bowed his head in prayer,
"I pray for fairness," said the boy
"And for your tender care."

"You shall be blessed," the Lord replied,
"Your team and you the same,
And now will you excuse me boy,
I cannot miss this game."

- Sandy Dow Mapula

I run my fastest
But still get beat.
I land on my head
When I should be on my feet.
I try to move forward,
But I am stuck in rewind.
Why do I keep at it?
I won't be left behind.

The harder I am thrown,
The higher I bounce.
I give it my all,
And that's all that counts.
In first place,
Myself, I seldom find.
So I push to the limit - 
I won't be left behind.

Some people tell me you can't,
Some say don't.
Some simply give up.
I reply, I won't.
The power is here,
locked away in my mind.
My perseverance is my excellence,
I won't be left behind.

Make the best of each moment,
The future is soon the past.
The more I tell myself this,
The less I come in last.
Throughout my competitions,
I've learned what winning is about.
A plain and clear lesson - 
Giving up is the easy way out.

So every night before I go to bed,
I hope in a small way I have shined.
Tomorrow is a brand-new day,
And I won't be left behind.

- Sara Nachtman

When I resolve into the essence
That I most truly am,
I feel a deep connection
With every living thing.
For that which most imbues me
With my identity 
Is somehow in the other, too,
So that when I look around
I see myself - reflected.
Hidden in this union
Is the wonderful discovery
That if indeed the angels
Have wings - 
Then so do I.
And if the essence of a flower
Drifts out on a gentle breeze - 
Then so do I.
And if the midnight sky
Is radiant with light - 
Then so am I.
And if the silent mystery
Somehow becomes revealed
In tiny dewdrops fair - 
Then so will I.
For every lovely thing
Manifests the essence
Of which I am a part,
So beware, my soul, beware,
And move with gentle heart
Throughout this mystic veil.
For if Love has left its imprint here - 
Then so have I!

- Donna Miesbach

Wonder, to me, is a good place to be.
It helps you to think, it helps you to see.
Life's full of twists and turns will abound,
But wonder and insight can guide you around.
Explore what you may and fill up your mind,
And hold in your heart the mysteries you find.
Wonder is only saying you yearn
To know and select the things that you learn,
And making a choice in which way you turn.
The best path you take will always be right,
'Cause if you were wrong, you CAN make it right.
Each new step you take when you listen and hear
Will give you more courage and freedom from fear.
So wonder my child, rid of your doubt,
And you will rejoice with how you turn out.
And though you may fall and struggle, too,
Know that I've been there, and will always love you.

- Jill Thieme

It's hard to get from here to there
If you never get out of bed.
You lie a lot to fool your friends
But you fooled yourself instead.

It's harder to get from here to there
If you set your goals too high;
Then nothing ever works out right;
Too soon, you no longer try.

But the hardest way to get from here to there
Is when all you ever do
Is count up the years, and miles to go.
Then you're through before you're through.

So how do you get from here to there?
Well, you first must believe you can
Let no one tell you differently - 
It's your life and it's in your hands.

Then turn your dreams into your goals
And see what you need now
To satisfy the requirements:
The why, the where and how.

At first you're overwhelmed, of course;
There is so much you don't know.
But keep your faith, be strong and sure,
For you do have a way to go.

Take careful steps and do them right,
Take pride in each thing done.
Don't look too far ahead of yourself,
Just that next step yet to come.

Before you know it you'll be there, friend,
Your dream will then be real.
And you'll be standing where I am now,
Telling others how good it feels.

You'll tell them not to quit themselves,
To have faith, though it's hard to bear.
So they will know it can be done - 
They, too, can get from here to there.

- Jennings Michael Burch

• Don't drink grape juice while wearing a white shirt and driving to school.
• Don't let your life wait for other people.
• Dropping a cellular phone into a bathtub of water kinda kills the phone.
• Your mother will find out if you dye your hair purple.
• You haven't really lived until you've gotten a 48 on an Advanced Placement U.S. History test.
• Don't ever fall in love with someone who is more than one thousand miles away from you. It usually doesn't work.
• Milk crates make boring pets.
• If it hurts, DON'T DO IT AGAIN!
• That which does not kill you will ultimately make you stronger.
• Speaking in public gets easier with practice.
• Don't sprint around a pool if you're trying to impersonate Jim from Huck Finn.
• Ten years from now most of what we freak out about won't make any difference.
• All that's gold doesn't glisten.
• Zits always pop up when you really can't afford for them to pop up.
• Always stay after class because that's where connections are made.
• When in doubt, duck. When certain, don't bother, 'cause you're already screwed.
• While driving a car through a gate, always, ALWAYS make sure the gate is open! The consequences might be fatal to your car.
• If you're not living (I mean really living), you're dead already.
• Never pierce your belly button in the dark.
• Just because someone flirts with you incessantly doesn't necessarily mean he or she likes you.
• If your calculus teacher tells you to quit talking after a test or he'll give you a zero for your test grade, he means it. Really.
• Sometimes smart people can do very, very stupid things.
• Being nice to people will get you far.
• The one person you can truly love is often right in front of you.
• Never, ever, EVER let a member of the opposite sex make you compromise your standards. Never.
• Nothing is ever too good to be true (said by Michael Faraday).
• If you start to like a girl, her roommate will immediately start liking you.
• Parents aren't around forever, and you need to treasure them while they are.
• Don't take the SAT twice if you already have a good score in the first place.
• Never do something if the risk is greater than the reward.
• Think carefully before you act.
• Dreaming and doing go hand in hand.
• Life moves fast, but not so fast that you can't slow down to enjoy it.
• Instead of waiting for life to get better, do something about it.
• You REALLY should do what needs to be done NOW, and not later. Procrastination is the easiest way, but not the most profitable.
• If your intuition is telling you not to do something, then don't. Your intuition is not stupid!
• Cereal is a vital staple food for all college students. Who cares how ridiculous you look eating it at 7:30 pm?
• If he doesn't respect you, then he's not worth any of your time.
• Learn to play an electric guitar: young women really dig it.
• Don't juggle knives unless you're really, really good at it.
• If at first you don't succeed, try again. Then give up. No sense being ridiculous about it.
• Sticking things up your nose isn't the smartest idea in the world.
• You can't light fireworks in the basement and not get caught.
• Hair is flammable. Very flammable.
• Never ever trust your friend with a pair of scissors against your hair.
• Dyeing hair strawberry blond that is already strawberry blond makes it turn strawberry pink.
• White dogs and black pants don't mix.
• God doesn't make junk!
• Someday you will look back on this and it will all seem funny.
• You never know when you're making a memory.
• The heart does heal and you will love like this again - except that when you do, you'll deny that you ever loved like this before.
• Nothing matters if you don't have loved ones to share it with. Your siblings are incredibly precious. If you don't know this now, you will - trust me!
• If you can laugh at yourself, you are going to be fine.
• If you allow others to laugh with you, you'll be great!
• Kissing is the most fun thing. Dancing is almost as fun.

- Meredith Rowe