Thanks

It’s Mother’s day, which means I’m writing this post for my mom.

Mom,
             Thank you for loving me no matter what. Thank you for loving me despite my anxieties and my depressions. Despite my mood swings and the days when I just don’t know what to do with myself, you’re    always there for me.

You make me laugh when I feel bad, and that’s a pretty big accomplishment. Honestly, you’re my best friend. You don’t judge me like everyone else around here does. You love me for who I am, and I cannot express how much that means to me.

A few nights ago when you were talking to Nate and I in the kitchen, you told us that if either of us were gay, you would love us the very same. How lucky I am to have a parent who understands what it means to love someone unconditionally. It makes me so sad to think of all of the children who are homosexual and have parents who are not supportive.
You raised me to be independent and to love myself regardless of what people say. You taught me that it doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks or says as long as I love my own choices. Life is too short to be defined by what others think.
I am so lucky to have a mom who taught me how to think for myself. I’m definitely a free spirit. I’m an old soul. You understand those parts of me. You understand that I question everything and you respect me for that.
I truly hope that I’ve made you happy and proud throughout all of the seventeen years that I’ve been alive. Thank you for bringing me into this world, no matter how much it sucks to be a citizen of this planet sometimes. I know that I’m here to make a change for the better, and so I suppose that I can put up with all of the idiots that try to get in my way.

Peace, love, and having a mom who rocks,
                                                                                        Sara

A Shortish Announcement

To everyone in my school or in my town who has the belief that I am a lesbian. I am not, in fact, attracted to girls. I know that you might be thinking. “But Sara keeps her hair short! She supports gay rights! She likes bands we’ve never heard of!”
Okay, okay. I get that the last part of that had nothing to do with anything. I’m just in that sort of mood.
Now, let me answer a few of the questions that I’m assuming quite a few people in my school are too afraid to ask me.

Are you gay? No, actually, I’m not. Last time I checked, I’m pretty straight. Thank you all for talking behind my back when you could have just asked me.
Why is your hair so short? Why is your hair so long? Oh yeah! Maybe that’s just because everyone likes to express their individuality. That’s a crazy idea.
If you aren’t gay, then why do you support equal rights? It might have to do with the word “Equal.” It’s such a nice notion, don’t you think? It’s a nod to the fact that everyone on this crazy planet is human and should be treated fairly. Maybe I support equality because I’m a decent human being myself.
Why is country music your least favorite genre? Because I feel like the musicians (for the most part) are entirely uncreative. It’s the same chords and the same topics over, and over, and over again. Also, whoever invented the nightmare that is “country rap” or “hick hop” has a very special place in hell waiting for them.

In closing, I’d like to share just one last message: Even if I was attracted to girls I would be the exact same person. Whoever I love is my business and not yours.

***Just a small note, if you have any other questions you’d like to ask me, shoot me an email on the Say, Sara page :)

Peace, love, and staying awesome,
Sara

The Book Thief Stole My Heart

The Book Thief is beautiful, dark, gritty, and sentimental all at once. The author, Markus Zusak, writes such realistic imagery to the point that you feel as though you are in the story, hiding in the shadows of Himmel Street. If you have not read this brilliant book, here is a small summary:

“It’s just a small story really, about among other things: a girl, some words, an accordionist, some fanatical Germans, a Jewish fist-fighter, and quite a lot of thievery. . . .
Set during World War II in Germany, Markus Zusak’s groundbreaking new novel is the story of Liesel Meminger, a foster girl living outside of Munich. Liesel scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she encounters something she can’t resist–books. With the help of her accordion-playing foster father, she learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids as well as with the Jewish man hidden in her basement before he is marched to Dachau.”

I won’t go into much of the plot because that would leave you with nothing to look forward to, but I will say that I cried incredibly hard at the end of the novel. In fact, I have drawn a crude sketch of myself after putting the book down.

 

So, that’s a pretty accurate representation. Also, it’s important to note that the scribble on my shirt is actually supposed to be my heart breaking. I know. I’m lame.

        The book is just so magnificent. It truly captures the essence of being human and gives it to the reader in such a unique perspective. 

The story itself is told from Death’s point of view. He navigates the world, searching for souls that have passed on and he carries them over to the other side.

 

Every book that has ever made me cry has one simple element: realistic, gritty, storytelling. My favorite books are those that remind me of what it is to be human. I suppose tha it must be the examples of the strong human resilience in the face of adversity that captivates me every single time.

I have been seeing this book on the shelves in bookstores for several years now, and I had never once wanted to buy it. When it was assigned to my contemporary literature class by the most amazing teacher ever, I was so excited to finally read it.

Thank you, Markus Zusak, for writing such a beautifully dark story, and thank you, Ms. Bibb, for assigning such a brilliant book.

 

Peace, love, and salty tears,

Sara