DIARY OF A HIGH SCHOOL GIRL

The following article is a school project of a high school student. 
"In a class, we were asked to write a story which is so close to my heart - about family.  I am a 14-year old young girl happily living with my family in a place we called The Promised Land of Philippines.  I am the second child in a family of four children, one older sister and two younger brothers.   I grew up in the simplicity of our home where I never asked anything else except to always be with my family.  That is my father, my mother and my siblings.  I always love playing with my father especially when he has no work during Saturday and Sunday.  Being younger to my sister, I have so many privileges that have been given to me by people surround me which of course I like so much.  I am lucky to have a sister who I can look up to and run to in times of need.  I have learned so many things from my sister from school kid into going to a teen age girl.  We are sharing rooms, secrets and goals and it is always nice to have someone to talk like my sister".

"Aside from my sister, I am indeed thankful to have younger boy siblings.  This makes my changing life from child to young lady balance.  Just imagine how my sister and I go around and all of a sudden to playing with my annoying but funny brothers age 11 and 1.  For more, there were always my cousins to play with.  The playground was perfect, we used to chase around the spacious lawn.  I am blessed with very supporting parents for all my community and school activities.  Living in a family like mine is an inspiration to pursue my studies.  From my childhood, I grew up in an environment of not being with my dear father most of the times especially those important days.  In 2007, my father decided to work abroad.  That was the first time he will left his children not just for weeks or months but for years.  I remember the sadness I felt when I had to say goodbye to my father.  Yes he promised me toys and chocolates but deep inside I preferred those playtimes with him especially when he carried me on his arms while cradling like a swing under the tree.  I wanted him to stay with us but in my young mind I remember he said it was for us – for my sister and my brother.  That made me inspired to make my best in school.  I knew that was the way to make my father happy so I made every day in school so special".

"My family had to make sacrifice.  While my father is working away from our home, my mother stayed at home to look after us her children.  I am blessed to have a family like mine who value the future of their children.  While growing up, I witnessed how difficult it was to be away with the head of the family especially in times when the presence of the father is needed most.  But my mother, to the very best of her capacity tried to do multi task just to cater the needs of her children.  It is thru in this set up of my family that makes me inspired to drive away the tiredness and sadness of my parents.  I told to myself, I should not fail my father and I will not disobey my mother.   I see the values that my parents taught not only to me but also to my siblings.  These are the love and respect to each and everyone in the family.  My mother and I have good times together.  One great thing that influenced me so much of my mother is my interest in culinary.  In my young age, she already shared me some basic knowledge in cooking that made me so happy every time she brought me in the kitchen to watch and learn new things.  Cooking is fun.  The ladle, frying pan, pots, chopping board and the stove are beautiful things for me that give me charm to always be with them.  I want to cook and when I grow up to choose a career for me, someday I wish to be a great chef that my parents will make proud of me.  I have already the passion about food and cooking.  I just need to keep and enhance them until I am ready to take them.  But while dreams are still far from today, I am trying to live by the days as they are.  I know to get that dream is to enjoy and prepare my life today.  I have always the excitement to convince people who I really care about to like the foods I prepared.  And soon the other people".

"While I am preparing that dream, I am focused on my studies because I always believe that the best time to shape our dream is today.  Being a third-year high school student, I have to choose extracurricular activities that truly appeal to me.  Today is the great time to develop a deeper focus on my interest.  I have been in many activities during my first and second years so I think I can narrow down them to come up to what I truly want.  Do I really want to become chef?  Then I have to read more about it so that I can learn more and be ready. Right now, part of preparing for that dream is to learn disciplines that I can get from two of my choice sports, the volleyball and dart.  Volleyball is a team sports that can help me to improve my coordination and socializing with fellow team players".

                                                 

"I believe, volleyball can push me to improve my motivation and ability to succeed in achieving a pre-determine goal.  As a team player, I should learn cooperation and work as a team to lead into success of the team.  When the team wins, I have share to that win too because I have to learn team work which is important to achieve the goal.  In volleyball, the emotional connections to the whole team will make stronger interaction among each and everyone.  As we walk forward to our dream, the process could be difficult and emotional.  The experience that I will get from volleyball will help me to provide an emotional network of support from my friends.  As to playing dart, I think the indecency to build success is in the experience of playing this sport that my father is my greatest influence.  Like him, I want also to learn good decision making skills, individuality, competitive abilities and build self-esteem".

"My life is inspired by all of these things that are happening to me.  In the past years, the little success that I can personally consider a humble achievement will help me to become a better person I am today.  The experiences I went through, the good bonding with my family, the places I have been trough, the friends that I spent days with, and the schools activities that I joined, all of them gave me lessons that I will cherish until I grow up into a full pledge woman".