Sweet Child O' Mine
In Confinement
"Welcome Students, Faculty and Staff. Family and Friends, and any others that joined us on this delightful day. For many of years, each and everyone of you have been waiting for this day, especially the students sitting in front with the black and yellow cap and gowns, and the lopsided smile covering their faces. As for the others, though the tears are running down their faces, they are happy to admit that their child, friend, relative, acquaintance, or other has made it through this chapter in their life, and are ready to conquer the next.
When I was first asked to write this speech, I had one thing in mind. Not to make it boring. To make it exciting, and to try and give as much advice as I can to the fellow classmates of mine. Though I am not older than any one of the students out there, physically and mentally, I have gained the knowledge for my advice from someone that is well respected, and knows a lot about what happens around us.
So please pay attention, open your ears, and follow every word, because my advice will help you. Will help you through the next part of your life, will help you with following your dreams, and will help you in understanding life itself.
'Once upon a time, there was a boy. An average boy you could call him, but everyone didn't. He was the mean boy. The mean guy who would hurt anyone, physically and mentally, because they were different than him. His father one day realized this and decided to teach him a life lesson, and had picked up two lemon tree seeds. He told his boy 'These son, are your destiny, your destiny, is to grow these, and take care of them. To watch over them everyday and treat them with respect.' The boy had nodded, excited his father had put him in charge of something. So for a years, the boy watched those seeds everyday. Watching them grow millimeter by millimeter, ounce by ounce. He watered them, put them in a correct climate, and treated them as if they were his own children. The trees weren't fully grown, but they were a good size, when the boy had noticed one of the trees had a 'defect'. The boy didn't like anything that wasn't perfect like himself he thought. And one day his father found out. He found out that the boy did not follow his instructions to take care of both of them. The father was angry, but decided not to confront the boy yet, instead he started taking care of the lemon tree the boy was supposed to take care of. The boy now in his teens looked at the defected tree one day. His eyebrows knitted in confusion, wondering how it could be bigger than his non-defected tree. For days, he would wonder while he sat in front of his non-defected tree starring at the tree adjacent from him. About a year later, the non-defected tree had died. The arms of the trees covered with mold and the lemons that began growing were a rotten brown color. The boy couldn't help it but cry and watch as something that could resemble a child of his, died, and he couldn't do anything about it. His father walked outside and watched the boy cry and shook his head walking towards the boy. 'Son' he had said. The boys head jerked up, his eyes filled with tears. 'Why did it die?' the boy's voice cracked, while the tears fell. The father sat by him, wrapping an arm around his shoulder. 'You considered that lemon tree your child. And the lemon tree considered the other lemon tree-' he pointed to the defected tree '-his brother. When you watch someone s0 close to you being hurt, not being loved, or being used, you slowly die inside. Though you are given so much love from another, you can't help but feel bad because you watch another go through pain.' The father tapped the boys shoulder, and stood up walking away from the boy who had a lot to think about. When the father left, the boy got up and walked to the defected lemon tree. He stared up at the branches that were so high now. 'I'm sorry' the boy had whispered. 'I'm sorry for hating you because your different.' '
The story, means a lot to me. Because I can relate to it. I know what it's like to be different, and I'm sure everyone of you out there do to. Though we may not be the kid who picks on everyone because their different, or the kid that's different, doesn't mean we don't know what it's like to have be say something to us hurtful.
I guess, the moral of the story, and the reason why I had read it to you all is to understand that everyone is like everyone else. Though we may not look the same or act the same. We all have a heart that has boundaries to what things can do to us. When words are deep, we can't die physically, but in the inside we can.
So for all of the students, take the words of the well respected woman into hand. Use it during everything in life, and realize that we no longer should be hurting, and no longer should hurt.
My name is Kayla Haner, and this is Huntington High's class of 2005."
An uproar of applauses filled the air in Huntington Beach, and I couldn't help but smile, letting it show all my teeth.
When I first was asked to write the speech, I honestly really didn't want to. It was a few months after Halley got in her car accident, and a month after Halley died. But when I realized that if she was here, when I was asked to write it, she would encourage me to do so, and wouldn't stop bugging me until I pushed my pen to the paper and began writing.
After the night at the hospital, I was never more ashamed in my life for looking and acting like my mother. I left right after my father had said that to me and ran outside and into the chilled air. I didn't know what was worse, knowing your hated because you remind someone of someone else? Or being hated because your the cause of a death?
When Halley died, I was a complete mess. I hadn't talked to anyone for months until Ms.Reynolds, the last person I ever wanted to talk to, cornered me down. Making me break down in front of her, and her saying it wasn't good to keep things bottled inside. Ever since then, I guess I've been ok with Ms.Reynolds. I forgave her and in the end she has basically taken the role of a mother.
Uncle Matt and Maddi finally got married, after their long relationship. So have Uncle Jimmy and Kita. And a secret, both Maddi and Kita are pregnant. And hopefully they won't end up with a missing spot in their heart where a father was supposed to fill, which I know won't happen.
And now as I walk off the stage, I watched with loved filled eyes everyone, including the two new members of the group Britt and Dom, Zacky and Johnny's new girlfriends, smile at me waiting to give me a hug.
I ran as fast as I could with the high heels I was forced to wear by Britt, to get over to them. All the Uncle's were the first one to give me hugs, and I happily gave them one back. Then Maddi, Kita, Britt, and Dom next.
"How does it feel to be a High School Graduate." Kita nudged, while she hugged me.
I breathed, "So good."
She laughed, and then I was strangled with a hug with someone with tiny arms. I turned around and watched Ms.Reynolds, smile down at me. "You did so good."
Chuckling, I shook my head. "If it wasn't for your story, I don't know where I would be today."
She smiled, patting my back before turning around to mingle with other students. I took a deep breath, realization coming over me, that I just graduated, and nothing so far could have felt any better.
I turned around, watching everyone talk. Scanning my eyes over everyone, I found someone who was out of the picture.
His hands were in his pockets, while a blank expression covered his face. He took a few steps forward towards me, and I did also. After a minute of walking slowly to each other we were arm distance apart.
"That was a nice speech." He said, rubbing the back of his head.
"Thank you." Replying softly.
He dropped his hand off of his head, and starred at me, before all of a sudden pulling me into a hug, and scrunching his face in my hair. "I love you so much, Kayla." He whispered over and over. My arms, that were limp at my side, came up and reached around his body, pulling him in tighter, my face smashing with my father's chest. I could feel warm tears fall on my head, as my dad began to cry.
My eyes watered up, and I cried into his chest. "I love you to, Dad."
He pulled himself away, his eyes red and puffy, before he smiled, a genuine smile. The first one I've seen my entire life.
"I'm so sorry." He said.
I raised an eyebrow. "For what?"
"For hating you because you reminded me of your mother."
And that second, when he snatched me back up in a hug, I knew I had found it. I had found what I was missing; A place to be love. And I had found it in the confinement of my father's arms.
The End
When I was first asked to write this speech, I had one thing in mind. Not to make it boring. To make it exciting, and to try and give as much advice as I can to the fellow classmates of mine. Though I am not older than any one of the students out there, physically and mentally, I have gained the knowledge for my advice from someone that is well respected, and knows a lot about what happens around us.
So please pay attention, open your ears, and follow every word, because my advice will help you. Will help you through the next part of your life, will help you with following your dreams, and will help you in understanding life itself.
'Once upon a time, there was a boy. An average boy you could call him, but everyone didn't. He was the mean boy. The mean guy who would hurt anyone, physically and mentally, because they were different than him. His father one day realized this and decided to teach him a life lesson, and had picked up two lemon tree seeds. He told his boy 'These son, are your destiny, your destiny, is to grow these, and take care of them. To watch over them everyday and treat them with respect.' The boy had nodded, excited his father had put him in charge of something. So for a years, the boy watched those seeds everyday. Watching them grow millimeter by millimeter, ounce by ounce. He watered them, put them in a correct climate, and treated them as if they were his own children. The trees weren't fully grown, but they were a good size, when the boy had noticed one of the trees had a 'defect'. The boy didn't like anything that wasn't perfect like himself he thought. And one day his father found out. He found out that the boy did not follow his instructions to take care of both of them. The father was angry, but decided not to confront the boy yet, instead he started taking care of the lemon tree the boy was supposed to take care of. The boy now in his teens looked at the defected tree one day. His eyebrows knitted in confusion, wondering how it could be bigger than his non-defected tree. For days, he would wonder while he sat in front of his non-defected tree starring at the tree adjacent from him. About a year later, the non-defected tree had died. The arms of the trees covered with mold and the lemons that began growing were a rotten brown color. The boy couldn't help it but cry and watch as something that could resemble a child of his, died, and he couldn't do anything about it. His father walked outside and watched the boy cry and shook his head walking towards the boy. 'Son' he had said. The boys head jerked up, his eyes filled with tears. 'Why did it die?' the boy's voice cracked, while the tears fell. The father sat by him, wrapping an arm around his shoulder. 'You considered that lemon tree your child. And the lemon tree considered the other lemon tree-' he pointed to the defected tree '-his brother. When you watch someone s0 close to you being hurt, not being loved, or being used, you slowly die inside. Though you are given so much love from another, you can't help but feel bad because you watch another go through pain.' The father tapped the boys shoulder, and stood up walking away from the boy who had a lot to think about. When the father left, the boy got up and walked to the defected lemon tree. He stared up at the branches that were so high now. 'I'm sorry' the boy had whispered. 'I'm sorry for hating you because your different.' '
The story, means a lot to me. Because I can relate to it. I know what it's like to be different, and I'm sure everyone of you out there do to. Though we may not be the kid who picks on everyone because their different, or the kid that's different, doesn't mean we don't know what it's like to have be say something to us hurtful.
I guess, the moral of the story, and the reason why I had read it to you all is to understand that everyone is like everyone else. Though we may not look the same or act the same. We all have a heart that has boundaries to what things can do to us. When words are deep, we can't die physically, but in the inside we can.
So for all of the students, take the words of the well respected woman into hand. Use it during everything in life, and realize that we no longer should be hurting, and no longer should hurt.
My name is Kayla Haner, and this is Huntington High's class of 2005."
An uproar of applauses filled the air in Huntington Beach, and I couldn't help but smile, letting it show all my teeth.
When I first was asked to write the speech, I honestly really didn't want to. It was a few months after Halley got in her car accident, and a month after Halley died. But when I realized that if she was here, when I was asked to write it, she would encourage me to do so, and wouldn't stop bugging me until I pushed my pen to the paper and began writing.
After the night at the hospital, I was never more ashamed in my life for looking and acting like my mother. I left right after my father had said that to me and ran outside and into the chilled air. I didn't know what was worse, knowing your hated because you remind someone of someone else? Or being hated because your the cause of a death?
When Halley died, I was a complete mess. I hadn't talked to anyone for months until Ms.Reynolds, the last person I ever wanted to talk to, cornered me down. Making me break down in front of her, and her saying it wasn't good to keep things bottled inside. Ever since then, I guess I've been ok with Ms.Reynolds. I forgave her and in the end she has basically taken the role of a mother.
Uncle Matt and Maddi finally got married, after their long relationship. So have Uncle Jimmy and Kita. And a secret, both Maddi and Kita are pregnant. And hopefully they won't end up with a missing spot in their heart where a father was supposed to fill, which I know won't happen.
And now as I walk off the stage, I watched with loved filled eyes everyone, including the two new members of the group Britt and Dom, Zacky and Johnny's new girlfriends, smile at me waiting to give me a hug.
I ran as fast as I could with the high heels I was forced to wear by Britt, to get over to them. All the Uncle's were the first one to give me hugs, and I happily gave them one back. Then Maddi, Kita, Britt, and Dom next.
"How does it feel to be a High School Graduate." Kita nudged, while she hugged me.
I breathed, "So good."
She laughed, and then I was strangled with a hug with someone with tiny arms. I turned around and watched Ms.Reynolds, smile down at me. "You did so good."
Chuckling, I shook my head. "If it wasn't for your story, I don't know where I would be today."
She smiled, patting my back before turning around to mingle with other students. I took a deep breath, realization coming over me, that I just graduated, and nothing so far could have felt any better.
I turned around, watching everyone talk. Scanning my eyes over everyone, I found someone who was out of the picture.
His hands were in his pockets, while a blank expression covered his face. He took a few steps forward towards me, and I did also. After a minute of walking slowly to each other we were arm distance apart.
"That was a nice speech." He said, rubbing the back of his head.
"Thank you." Replying softly.
He dropped his hand off of his head, and starred at me, before all of a sudden pulling me into a hug, and scrunching his face in my hair. "I love you so much, Kayla." He whispered over and over. My arms, that were limp at my side, came up and reached around his body, pulling him in tighter, my face smashing with my father's chest. I could feel warm tears fall on my head, as my dad began to cry.
My eyes watered up, and I cried into his chest. "I love you to, Dad."
He pulled himself away, his eyes red and puffy, before he smiled, a genuine smile. The first one I've seen my entire life.
"I'm so sorry." He said.
I raised an eyebrow. "For what?"
"For hating you because you reminded me of your mother."
And that second, when he snatched me back up in a hug, I knew I had found it. I had found what I was missing; A place to be love. And I had found it in the confinement of my father's arms.
The End