My Story

I feel like I can't rightfully continue this project until I've shared with you all my story. So here it is.

(Lots of Mormon words in here. I've tried to put links to help those of you who don't know what everything means, but talk to me if you have any questions!)

These are my parents at their wedding. Total cuties, right?

Like you already know (whether from my previous post or from life), my dad was diagnosed with stage four colorectal cancer in the summer of 2009, right before I started my freshman year of high school. For those of you who don't know very much about medicine, cancer found at stage four has been caught very late. From the diagnosis, we knew the prognosis: my dad was going to die.

The next two and half years led to frequent trips to the hospital. I often found myself driving from school to dance practice to Providence Saint Peter Hospital and riding the elevator up to the cancer floor. I knew the nurses by name, but had difficulty remember which doctor did what.

And now for the part that most of you don't know: on December 18, 2011, my dad died. I didn't know people didn't know about this part of my life until graduation, but it made sense. I had never been public about it. I never posted any Facebook statuses saying "Miss you, Dad." And so now I'm coming clean.

Speaking of "clean", my dad's battle and passing allowed me to use the Atonement more than I ever had before. Jesus Christ did not suffer only for our sins, but also for any negative feelings or hardships or temptations we've ever had.

My dad and I always had trouble getting along; we both had very headstrong personalities. My last two and a half years with him found me constantly asking my Heavenly Father for help in repairing our relationship. I know this helped to develop a connection between both my physical father and my spirit Father and me.

On the night of his death, I was too tired to go out to the living room to be with him in his final moments. For a long time, I had trouble forgiving myself for this. This turned out to be another opportunity to use the Atonement to forgive myself.

My dad also wasn't a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the time of his death. My mom, brother, and I are now preparing to enter the temple to do his work.

As you can probably tell from this very long post, my way of coping with the loss of my father was through the gospel of Jesus Christ. Through my project, I want to examine how others have dealt with the hardships they have faced within their families and help more people have hope.

Some super cute pictures of my family:

Parents in Crisis

Since the summer of 2009, I have been very concerned about youths whose parents are in crisis, whether physical, emotional, or mental. This issue is personal to me, as my father was diagnosed with cancer that summer. I was only 14 years old when he was diagnosed, and my family's struggle filled my journey through high school with different experiences and challenges than most.

During the hardest time of my life, I relied on my family, my friends, and the gospel taught by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. At times, however, I felt isolated and as if no one around me knew what I was going through. I would have loved to have been able to read the story of someone who could relate to me, and I believe that many young people need that now.

I never intended to start a project to help change people's lives when I started this blog in June, but that is my purpose now. Through my posts (and hopefully the posts of others), I hope to be able to help people who are in situations similar to what I've gone through and to provide a beacon of light for them.

"Waste Land"

I recently viewed the film "Waste Land", a documentary detailing Brazilian artist Vik Muniz’s work with recyclable materials. In the film, he travels to the largest landfill in the world, Jardim Gramacho in Rio de Janeiro, to create portraits of the garbage pickers there. He sets out with the purpose to change the lives of people by creating art with materials they use daily.

I could go on for hours about this documentary, but in short, I love it. But why? Was it because I was amazed by the artwork (which can be found here)? Probably. However, I most love this movie because of its message. It is easy to see that "Waste Land" could influence one to recycle, but this is not the true meaning of the film. The most important message this films persuades me to understand is that once you see the details, it is easier to comprehend and appreciate the big picture.

From an aerial view, the workers at Jardim Gramacho appear standard and low-class. Through the course of the movie, though, the viewer learns their stories. Zumbi has hopes to open a library. Tião loves to read and treasures his books. As Vik Muniz interviews the workers, their details become clear and our view of their lives shifts.

The same can be said about Muniz’s art. Initially, beautiful images of people are presented. Then the viewer leans in and sees the true materials: garbage. The viewer leans back out and has a new perspective on the picture. As Tião says, people must spend hours at Vik Muniz’s work, noticing all the details.

Just as a portrait is enhanced by its materials, people become more beautiful as we become familiar with the details and imperfections of their lives.