1 . When I was ten years old, Mum got paralyzed (瘫痪) . Before that, she was a lively and active woman who amazed many with her energy. I admired her for all the things she did.

However, everything changed when she turned thirty-one.

I still have vivid images of her before her paralysis. She would play popular music, creating a cheerful atmosphere for lively gatherings. She would joyfully rearrange the furniture to make room for friends to abandon themselves to dance. She often spent hours filling the house with flowers, which we picked fresh from the gardens.

After Mum’s paralysis, I began to take care of my 2-year-old sister, Mary Therese. In no time at all, I learned to bathe and feed her. For me it was a giant step beyond playing with dolls. One moment stands out even today: the time Mary Therese fell and skinned her knee, burst into tears and ran past my mother’s outstretched arms into mine. Too late, I noticed slight hurt on Mum’s face, but all she said was, “It’s natural that she should run to you, because you take such good care of her.”

When I was grown and entered the field of corrections, Mum became interested in working with prisoners. She taught writing to them. One day, she asked me to mail a letter to one prisoner, Waymon. I asked for my mother’s permission to read it first. It read: when you said that I couldn’t imagine what it is like to be in prison, I felt like I had to tell you that you are mistaken. When I awoke one day to find that I was completely paralyzed, I felt trapped, overwhelmed by a sense of being imprisoned in a body that would no longer allow me to dance or carry my child in my arms. But then, I made a choice about whether I would smile when I saw my daughters again or I would weep. I made a decision to live as fully as I could.

By the time I finished Mum’s letter, my vision was clouded by tears. For the first time, I saw my mother in a clearer light.

2 . Love can be a great motivator. For Daniel Kablutsiak, the love for his son was the push he needed to lose an incredible 79 pounds. The bets for his weight loss were high: if Kablutsiak could lose the extra pounds, he’d have the chance to give his son a more normal teenage life.

Slimming down meant that the father would be able to be an organ donor for 16-year-old Hunter，who was diagnosed (诊断) with stage-5 kidney (肾) disease in 2020. His son had been able to manage his life since the diagnosis, but he needed 10 daily pills. The effects “consumed his energy” compared to that of a normal teen. A new kidney would be life- changing for Hunter. Daniel was a great donor candidate, but his weight was an issue. He needed to be under 200 pounds, but he weighed 274.

Determined to be a donor, Daniel took action. He began to focus on his diet and exercise. This included cutting back on sugar and walking at least three miles a day or exercising at the gym. “I was determined. I really love him, and I put my mind into it — ‘I’m going to do it,’ and I went at it,” he declared.

It took about 13 months to lose the weight needed for organ donation, but Daniel did it. He now weighed 195 pounds, and the transplant was scheduled for June 2023. The father wasn’t nervous about the procedure: rather, he’s excited for Hunter. “His spirit went up as well as his energy, and I can see the glow in his face like some kind of relief or something,” Daniel said.

Daniel was determined to maintain his health since losing weight. While the donation was the motivator, there have been other benefits to his slimmed-down figure. Last winter, he played hockey with Hunter. It was something he couldn’t do a year ago because of the pressure the extra weight was putting on his knee. Daniel hopes his story can be a motivating force for others who want to change their life but feel challenged to do so.

Kiton and his parents lived near the forest. They didn’t have much money, but they loved each other very much. Every day Kiton’s parents worked hard to earn more money for the family. Kiton did very well in his studies, which made his parents happy. They were sure that one day their son would become a big man. They always told Kiton that hard work was the best way to succeed.

Kiton cared about his parents and always helped them with the housework after he finished his homework. Whenever he saw his parents were tired, he felt very sad. How he wished his family could become rich quickly. Many times, Kiton dreamed of earning a lot of money in his sleep.

One day Kiton heard that there was huge treasure in a cave across the forest. Kiton thought if he found the treasure, his family would become rich. He told his parents about it. But they said he should not believe that and should work hard in his studies instead. But Kiton made up his mind to find the treasure. So he secretly made his plan.

The next day after school, Kiton started off without telling his parents. He reached far into the forest and the night was getting dark. In the dark, he felt as if an animal were following him. So he tried all his best to run. Because he couldn’t see the way clearly, he lost his footing and fell into a pit (坑). He tried but couldn’t get out. He listened, but heard nothing from any animals. He didn’t know how much time had passed. He heard someone calling his name from far away.

Realizing his parents were looking for him, Kiton started shouting as loudly as possible, “I’m here, Mom, Dad!”

Kiton and his parents got home, where Kiton’s favorite food was on the table, and Kiton decided to explain it to his parents after dinner.

8 . “The benefits brought to my life from running are not only physical. Running gets me out of home,” says Youyou, a visually impaired (视觉障碍) runner.

Yachi has been pacing (领跑) for Youyou for several years. They crashed into each other repeatedly when they first tried running with the 30cm-long rope between them. When they run, a 30cm-long blue rope connects Youyou’s left wrist (手腕) to Yachi’s right. They move like each other’s mirror image, using the rope as a form of communication. When Yachi’s and Youyou’s speeds are the same, the rope will naturally relax. The two don’t actually need to talk too much about running. Now, they run like each other’s clones.

Thanks to the rope, running is no longer a lonely task, explains Yachi. “This is a matter of achievements for both of us. Not only am I helping him improve, he is also pushing me to hold on and be strong,” he says.

When preparing for a competition, more pacers join them, forming a running formation. During training, Yao Ying runs in front, Yachi is on Youyou’s left, and Xiao Yu’er is at the back. Watching them run from behind, the unbreakable formation seems to surround (包围) Youyou; but in fact, all of them are surrounded by the unbreakable force of friendship.

Training is no longer the only purpose of their runs. It also allows them to hang out together as friends. When they go out to eat, Youyou doesn’t really like the restaurants that are overly attentive because he’s visually impaired, which makes him feel uncomfortable.

Yachi, Yao Ying and Xiao Yu’er all know Youyou well. No matter what they do, how much progress in running is made, and what exciting competitions are waiting, running has allowed them to connect and head into the unknown together, which in itself is a great achievement.

9 . I was looking through old photos with Mom. “Where on earth is that photo of Dad and Mumpsy?” I asked. It was my favorite one of Dad holding his dog.

“Maybe Jean has it,” said Mom. “We could ask her.” I looked at Mom as if she had the third eye. She could not be serious! Grandma had two sons, Dad and Uncle Ralph, who was married to Jean. Mom and Jean hadn’t got along since I was a little boy. Jean would say hurtful words to Mom, and Mom tried to let it go. After Grandma passed away, our connection with Uncle Ralph and Jean fell apart.

Yet here was Mom, intending to reach out to Jean after nearly 30 years. “We’re in our eighties,” Mom said. “Neither of us has many years left. Why not give it a try?”

Mom called Jean. Jean said the photos weren’t organized, and she invited Mom over to help look for the photo.

Sitting down at the table, Mom and Jean got through all the boxes from Grandma but didn’t find the photo. After a short talk, Jean said sorry for what she had done years before. She said that over the years, she had come to realize her mistakes but the fear of not being forgiven had stopped her saying sorry. Over the next few hours, they talked about what had happened in their lives.

“Jean received a college degree, and she’s become an artist. She has even sold a few of her paintings.” Mom later told me. “Then Jean pulled out a photo album (相册) of her family, just to share with me.”

“I suppose you didn’t find the Mumpsy photo,” I commented.

“Oh, I almost forgot. Guess what was stuck into the back cover of the album and fell out when she opened it?” Mom held up the photo of Dad and Mumpsy — lost until the recovery of Jean and Mom’s wounds.

10 . When I was in second grade, I discovered my parents’ 600 Film Polaroid camera. Somehow, there was still film inside of the camera and the camera worked! I spent that night taking pictures of my family and our pet dog. The next day, I convinced my parents to let me take it to class and took pictures of my friends. I instantly fell in love with capturing memories.

From then on, I would always ask my parents if I could borrow their digital camera during family vacations. I loved taking pictures of everything in sight. When I saw the pictures, I was filled with happiness from the moments I was able to record.

At high school, I took some photography courses furthering my curiosity for this art form. I learned about editing and the wonders of Photoshop. I learned what a great tool it is and I tried my best to practice as often as I could. When I was looking at universities, I was extremely interested in art schools because of photography. I knew deep in my heart that I wanted to do something more with photography. However, I also had a dream and passion to study business. I eventually decided to attend a university where I had the opportunity to study both fields.

During my first year of college, I decided to pursue a photography minor. My love for Business and Marketing helped me to turn my passion into a business. I created Angelica Carrete Photography in 2016 as a way to do more with my hobby. I challenged myself to grow as a creative every day and tried my best to stay motivated through the struggles that come with being a college student. I created this blog as a way to express my thoughts on the many different aspects of photography and to further challenge my creativity. I am so excited about this journey!