Log #6

Homeless to Harvard: The Story of Liz Murray

Always, it is not until people encounter serious disasters or lose what they have that they realize how happy they were. Always, it is not until people are frustrated and in terrible chaos that they start to find out what on earth they want for their lives. Like I am, I am usually disappointed with my current situation that I look down on myself from time to time. However, I have tried to believe that I might be not as terrible as I think of myself and I found that there has been so much happiness around me since I watched a movie few days ago— Homeless to Harvard: The Liz Murray Story. This is a movie which made me stop for awhile and go for figure out my soul. I have value

Liz Murray was born in a poor and troublesome family, with her sister. Both their father and mother were drugs addicts. Because of the drug addiction, their mom needed money to have more drugs and ended up causing these two children into starvation. The house was in a mess. Both their parents couldn’t take care of themselves, to say nothing of caring the house environment, caring Liz and her sister. In school, Liz was bullied by peers for his smelly body—she couldn’t have a shower because the bathtub didn’t drain. She liked to study, but she didn’t like to go school. Adults considered Liz to be the child who likes to study, but they would ever knew it was the family factor or the bully that she retreating to go to school. At her age, it was quite hard to tell teacher the truth.

For her absence, she was sent to the care system. At fifteen, she moved to live with her grandfather’s home; however, he didn’t like her. In the end, she went away from her grandfather’s home, wondering with her friend who was born in an unfortunate family. The most important turning point in her life is the time when her mother died of AIDS. The bad news was the real slap on her face. She started his academy work, finishing her senior high school only in two years. it was not so easy for ordinary students to finish the four- year academy work in two years, not to mention a girl who was homeless and tough on her life. What’s more amazingly, she also earned the scholarship donated by the New York Times and got the master degree from Harvard in the end.

In this movie, there are many plots touching me a lot. I still remember that in the previous parts of movie, Liz’s mom came back home from the hospital. It is just the time she was diagnosed with AIDS. Liz wanted her to be happy, showing her the test marked on 100. Tears welled up in her eyes, but it made Liz confused and anxious. “No. no no no. 100 is good, 100 is perfect.” Liz’ saying and the worry flowing out of her eyes touched me a lot. It made me think of the total difference between me and Liz. For getting the test paper with the same grade of 100, I show my test paper with my parents for my allowance; while Liz showed hers just in order to make her mother happy. The conversation of Liz and her mother indeed dawned on me that how happy the family I have!

Besides, the process that Liz fought for the chance of entering senior high school also makes me reflect myself and makes me commiserate her with the tough childhood. “I guess I always thought that she was gonna get better and take care of me. She had never been taking care of me. I took care of her. She was my baby, but now she’s gone.” During the interview time, Liz said to the professor like this. With the feeling she said word by word, all the feelings and images in my life flashed through of my head, quickly but clearly. I may be in a great depression if I encountered the death of my relatives. I am so vulnerable that I will be hard to embrace the news and bear the pain. In contrast, Liz took care of her mother before she died; Liz cheered herself up quickly and strived to her study. She is always strong in heart and mind, ALWAYS! Liz Murry once said: Wherever my mom was, that’s where my home was. The saying almost makes me cry, especially for me, haven’t gone home for a while. For the coming Mother’s Day, I wrote a card for my mother last Friday. I cried, while writing the card. I didn’t figure that I truely miss them so much until I put my assignment behind and picked the pen to write for my mom. After watching this movie, it reminds me of that I should, and I must cherish the time I spend with my family.

The plot which impressed me so much is that she visited Harvard. She wanted to enter Harvard, reading the best books in it; however, she thought it was impossible in her deep mind. Some fear in her mind made her retreat to go pursue her dream. This part made me think of myself. I just like her, afraid of going ahead to my dream. It seems that some mental fears stop her keeping going. “Not people like me. Why not people like me? What made them so different? Because of where they were born?” Standing in front of her dream college, looking Harvard students in the campus, she asked questions to herself. Maybe, I also need to ask these questions for myself. Is it really impossible for me to reach my goal? Or just my fear stops me from heading to my destination? I ask to myself, thinking of them, deeply.

Homeless to Harvard: The Liz Murray Story concluded many concept and self- discovering issue that inspired me a lot. However, I haven’t found the true myself yet, and haven’t found my dream back, the story of Liz cheers my up, encourages me to face it bravely. Liz Murray, not only reminds me to cherish the present happiness around you, but also push me to face the challenges on the way of heading my dream! “There is no going back. Just going work as hard as I possibly can, and see what happens.” Said Liz Murray.