Trust Fall

Hey there! I am currently sitting in a Starbucks on a beautiful, sunny Tuesday afternoon with a friend who has one of the best singing voices I've ever heard. (https://soundcloud.com/mjbsianquita) Today I caught myself watching the incredibly emotional movie, Me Before You. Spoiler warning from here on out. You have been warned!

Just from the title you can already tell it's going to be an absolute heartbreaker and tearjerker of a film. 

This movie is the story of Will, a charming, wealthy and young man who gets hit by a motorcycle, effectively destroying his spinal cord in the process, leading to loss of feeling from the shoulder down. He is confined to the prison of his wheelchair, living with the fact that he will never walk again, he will never run again and simply, never live again. This is also a story of Louisa when a quirky, unusual middle class girl hired to be his caretaker. Simply put, Will treats her horribly. Making fun of her style, responding with arrogance, refusing to show her any signs of intimacy and vulnerability. However, Louisa is relentless in her pursuit of getting to know him better. Leading to a blossoming friendship in which despite Will's condition, empowers both him and her to realize that they have a duty to live, no matter what limitations they may see. 

The big twist comes when it is revealed that Will is planning to commit suicide in six months time, due to the lack of progress in his health and wellbeing. Louisa is devastated and contemplates her place in his life. But like a good, loyal friend, she sticks by his side through the thick and thin. The man whom she met, arrogant, prideful and selfish was now someone who trusted her with his entire heart and whole being. It became clear to see that the nights that she spent with him at his bedside to the violin concertos she would take him out on were not in vain. They were essential to making him realize that despite the tragedy he had experienced, it did not mean life for him was over. She gave him a reason to wake up in the morning, and the desire to live once again. But this time, he would have her. 

It's funny to think about the profound effects our friends and our companions can have on our lives. I would not be the same person if I hadn't met a friend like Johnjo, someone who is goofy yet committed. Or maybe a friend like Marielle, who shows compassion to everyone she encounters no matter what. Marc, who never fails to light up a room with his contagious smile. Or maybe even Cassey, who speaks gently and listens intently to everything. These people have all been my personal, "me before you" stories; all uniquely different but one in the same. They were essential to forming the person writing to you right now. Who knows how differently my life would've turned out to be if I had not met them. 

My point is, the people you've met and those who you are going to meet, play important roles in your very own character development. Your life is a story and every good story has excellent character development. Imagine if we stayed the same way for the entirety of our lives; how boring and dissatisfying would that be? 

The ability to change, grow and adapt gives life a sense of excitement and uncertainty, which isn't a bad thing. Today you're a 17-year old high school student struggling in Biology, 10 years from now you might be a 27-year old Pulitzer Prize winning journalist! Life is funny in that way. It makes us believe we've been the same person for the last whatever so years of our lives but truth be told, we aren't. 

You are going to change whether you like it or not. But it doesn't have to be a bad thing. Accept it and learn to live with it. Until everyday is a beautiful day regardless of the weather outside. Until every person is a person regardless of the harm they've done you. Until your life itself is not something you dread and run away from; but something you run towards and fall in love with. 

AMDG