The Dying Girl. August 10, 2015.

August 10, 2015

We just got back from a 4 dollar movie. Why can’t more movies be 4 dollars? It’s just a perfect price because it’s not enough to be upset over if the movie sucks. Anyway the movie was called, “Me and Earl and the Dying Girl”. I was really happy that Sis suggested that we go and watch it because she didn’t hesitate or get weird about the fact that it was about a girl (SPOILER ALERT), who dies of cancer. It made me feel like a normal person, she didn’t give it a second thought when she asked if I wanted to go see it. The movie was good, kind of your typical off-beat indie film, but it was funny and interesting and it felt like real life. There were problems, ugly people, normal families, it was just refreshing to watch something that was real life. Of course it ends up being a sad story about cancer, I get it. They have to draw you in and make you emotionally attached and then end with a dramatic, heart-wrenching finale. I got nervous for a while, nervous about seeing a girl my age fight the same fight, nervous about seeing her lose, nervous about seeing myself in her as she had her ups and downs, nervous about watching a girl I relate to die. I wasn’t sure how I’d react. But honestly, I didn’t look at the weak, sad girl and say, “that’s me”. Instead I looked at her and said, “Never let yourself go there”. I watched as she went from a normal, joyful girl, and as she slowly let the Cancer Monster devour her. I watched as she became depressed, sad, and eventually gave up. I watched her die.  I’ve had days where I caught a glimpse of that girl, the dying girl. When you look you may not see a huge difference, she’s a young girl and she has cancer, I am a young girl and I have cancer. 

Why isn’t my story a sad story? Sure I’m not dead but that doesn’t mean I might not die. But even if I did mine wouldn’t be a sad story about a girl with cancer who gave up. Why? Because the difference is I have HOPE. I have a hope because Christ has given me hope. I will never give up no matter how dark and weary the days get, no matter how weak or ugly I feel because He gives me strength! I have God on my side and He is bigger and better than any Cancer Monster I will face. So I left not feeling discouraged by seeing a young girl with cancer die, I left feeling sad that she didn’t have the hope that I have, because even if my body dies here on Earth I have a hope that I will live eternally. This is not a sad story.