I BELIEVE. do you?

The Olympics are based on the power of believing and self-determination. You need to believe, the athletes need to believe, and their mentors need to believe in order to accomplish the one desire they all posses, to win.

Surely, the Olympics are not solely consisted of gold medals and standing upon the towering step of the captivating podium. It's about discovering the truth about reaching new heights, and fulfilling hopes you never knew you could accomplish. The athletes are looked upon as role models, and leading examples for the dreams of many children. They have worked for this one moment, trained until there muscles have given out, and dedicated their time and passion to the thing they absolutely love to do. The spotlight is on them as they release their vigor broadcasted on many crowed around- televisions, and twinkle their eyes as they hear the final standing results.

A golden world of glory is indeed not the case for all. These on the edge events are also about improving yourself as an athlete, whether it's landing that problematic triple axel, swiftly traveling so rapid that you can feel the friction beneath the skies as you glide, or shooting for the stars only to find that the puck has landed in the net. It's moments like these that make the Olympics truly fascinating. You can glimpse the broad smiles of not only delighted gold-medal champions, but also the wave of fans cheering with optimism for their countries. It brings patriarch spirit to us all, and the chance to be confident and place enthusiasm within our nation.

That feeling can change as we see that figure skater tumble on her Lutz, detect that skier fell in midst of beating an ultimate self record, or even the unlucky chance that the goalie saved the slashing slap-shot. This can ruin not only the athletes self esteem, but also the flicker of faith to disappear within the wave, leaving tensed expressions, nail biting, and stiff souls.

And then it happens! All it took was one trifling second to accomplish one sought after dream. For one person there imagination became reality. Alex Bilodeau had received Canada’s first Olympic gold medal. A roar of excitement burst across the nation. History was created.

In fact, more and more history is created every second in the Olympics of inspiring life-changing instants, and stories of beating the impossible. The Olympics bring much deserved joy to athletes and bring our country closer together to celebrate. Peter Pan taught me, if one utters they don’t believe in fairies, one somewhere falls down dead. Likewise this has the same effect, Olympic-wise. To watch the success of our athletes we need to believe, like they need to believe in themselves. Without any support and self-confidence, their once so close dreams recede from view, and it is the spirit that falls down, and their triumph that fails. I Believe. Do you?

Here comes the sun... ☼

Hats and scarves are discarded for flip-flops, and sunglasses. The thick blanket of white, that once caused shivers up your spine, is now revised to the greenest blades of grass swaying with the wind. The thin layer of frost that was configured on the edges of the bedroom window has transformed to rays of sunlight beaming across the floorboards. The relentless coverage of grey snow-clouds prepared to release troublesome blizzards is now a carefree environment. The calendar marks June 19th. Sound familiar? It’s the commencing of the summer holidays.

To each of us, when we hear the word summer it re-encounters old memories, and past experiences associated with the season. I know when I hear the word summer; it literally makes me wish that the frigid endless winter days would be replaced by cloudless skies, and high readings on the thermometer.

Even with the chance of rain in the summer, the light showers or thrilling thunderstorms aren't so negative compared to the bitter gusts of December wind. Once the sun peeks through from the overcast sky, a wondrous arch of colours stretches far above. The atmosphere is vivid and lively, of delicate flowers, and the greenest leaves upon the tallest trees. Surrounding you is a domain of freedom and sunshine.

No homework. No tests. No stress. However, instead the leisurely liberation to sleep in, hang out with friends and most importantly, RELAX. During my summers, the days are comprised of many varied activities. From chilling by the pool, to interesting days at camp (not quite positive ones), to surfing at the beach, to yes, dare I say, shopping. A huge factor in the enjoyment that comes along with summer is the aspect of spending valuable time with family and friends. This includes many uncalled adventures such as family vacations, or amusing reminiscences of times spent with friends. The days pass from one to another each bringing on a new experience.

At the beginning, it felt that before us lay countless days of smiles and bliss, however those days were limited. The calendar now marks the last day. The seasons joy has come to end, only to uncover those once tossed hats and mitts, the greenest leaves now tumbling before me, and the hope to be free. It will be a matter of time until the crisp autumn breeze is once again the distinguished days of summer.

1 word, 6 letters, endless meanings : FRIEND.

My imaginary friend, is not so imaginary, she really is real. Sure, she's not visible to everyone, but that's only because she moves so swiftly, and stealthy that to the naked eye she's almost impossible to see. If you haven't already uncovered, my best friend is a ninja. Shhhh.... keep it on the down low though, we wouldn't want to unveil her top-secret missions. Her life is similar to Hannah Montana, minus the wig, screaming fans, and stardom. She lives a secluded life.

Just a normal girl, who resembles myself, a bit stretched out and twisted depending on the present conditions of the weather. She declines in size as I draw nearer towards her profile, and grows taller as I step back. She is timid, and shy but can make a silence worth a thousand words. Listening to her can be the wisest decision, and she can make any given moment entertaining by making innovative puppet shapes on the wall.

No name she has, so I call her friend. A simple, kind word that describes her in six letters. I have to admit that she is a bit of a copycat; everything I do she mimics. I take it as a form of flattery and accept the fact that she mirrors my actions. I skip, she skips. I wave, she waves. I dance, she dances. I speak, she listens. Needless to say, step by step, she's beside me, for support and encouragement.

By day, she appears within the blinding beams of sunlight, always lagging on my side. I can always depend on her, regardless if she does not appear at first. She will always surface at some point, prepared to listen to my drawbacks with sympathy. She keeps herself hidden in the dark, and is only vulnerable when the sun peaks out of the grey puffs of cloud hiding it. The light casts amongst her silhouette in the spotlight.

The sky encloses, and releases a booming roar. Thunderstorms are her main weakness, and she instantly quivers in sight of the heavy, black clouds, and flees my company. Where she goes, I don’t know. Many do not perceive her as a result of her slyness. She disintegrates into the air, and is swallowed by the night. Her identity is kept unclassified to many, but to me a friend.

She is my shadow, and she is gone...

Tick. Tock.

Time. As I write seconds that are turning into minutes are passing. As you read this, the clock is slowly ticking, but passing rapidly. Everything we do consumes time. The minutes add up, and before we know it our once naïve childhoods that felt like yesterday have disappeared, while we are soon starting our journey off into intimidating high school. I look back and wonder where the years have gone.

Distinct memories flood my mind from when I was just a mere toddler. From my first day of school to my 6^th circus themed birthday party. Chaotic, yet vividly clear in my mind. I remember having contests to see who could collect the most chestnuts from the tree in the autumn, being lugged around in a wagon, and being resistant to only watch unicorn themed movies. Yes, odd recollections, however I miss those days. I miss people not judging you by what you wear or look like, but rather the toy you had. The feeling you felt when you just learned how to ride a two wheeler by yourself, and being tucked in early at night and waking up at the earliest hours of the morning as a fiery ball brimmed of energy.

School was simple and was composed of colouring rainbow-filled pictures and straightforward equations like 7+8=?. Dress up was always part of my day, needless to say also was watching Art Attack, and creating imaginative formations on Lite Brite. The littlest things made me satisfied, like swinging on the schoolyard swing, or making enchanted castles out of Popsicle sticks. Everything was easygoing and untroubled, as if I had no care in the world or what it would soon become. All these things contribute to the fact that I would absolutely desire to travel back to my childhood for a day. Sure I would doubtingly love to dismiss many of the rueful regrets I hold, but that’s life. We all experience mistakes, but we look past them and gain mental notes to keep track of for future reference.

It won’t be long until all these memories disappear, until the past fades away in my growing mind, leaving only regrets behind. The world is constantly turning and spinning, as days turn into years, and years into decades. As it’s becoming more and more complex I sit and wonder where the simpler days have gone. Time has taken them away.