In the Dominican Republic Mother's Day is celebrated the last Sunday of May. For my family this holiday is very sacred.  We usually have nice ceremonies or do something fun for the occasion. This year we decided to go on a road trip to a farmhouse in Bonao, where we spent the weekend. The weekend was full of funny activities like swimming in the pool and showering in the river, playing pool, riding horses and playing monopoly with the family. Sunday morning we have a special breakfast with hot chocolate and sandwiches and for lunch we ate pasta and pork. Later on, at tea time we exchange gifts for our mothers. Definitely, this was a very special mother's day. 

The video below is a cute appreciation video I played for my family during the tea time.

Charles Darwin once said, “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.” To survive, people always need to get through great lengths. Within them, people carry a spirit that inspires the will. Will to keep going, will to succeed, will to be the best. It may be some women trying to battle its way to win a scholarship or a soccer team discussing their winning game strategies; all of them, no matter what, have an instinct or a survival attitude that pushes them to become the medalist - to overcome the odds they confront. In my opinion the individuals that can survive are those whom are resilient or have a resilient instinct, which means they can manage harsh conditions in a healthy way and can recover from them rapidly. Three points that I consider important for people to survive are the following: seek for self-motivation, embrace the change, and learn how to rise when you fall.

The first point is motivation, a word that we use very often but something that we are lacking off way too much. It is one of the most important things we need to get to keep going, either someone motivate us or we motivate ourselves. Either way, self-motivation is the key to success, we need to seek for it. It is fundamental in our evolvement since not always we are going to find someone right at hand when we need a little encouragement to keep our self-esteem high. Motivation and self-esteem goes right at hand. Research has demonstrated that self-esteem plays an important role in coping with stress and recovering from difficult events. Which means if we have low self-esteem then we have low motivation. It is a domino effect, if one falls everything crumbles.

To introduce the second point, we have Survival of the Fittest, evolution theory proposed by Charles Darwin. This law states that only those who are able to adapt to the environment changes are the ones who will survive. That old theory is the reason why to embrace change is important. Adjustability is an essential part of resilience. When we learn how to be more adaptable, we are better equipped to respond when we are faced with life crisis. Resilient people often utilize flexibility as an opportunity to branch out in new directions and try new things, they make changes and take advantage of it to break from their comfort zone. While some may be devastated by abrupt changes, highly resilient individuals are able to adapt and thrive.

Last but not least point is to learn to rise when you fall. Just because you failed doesn’t mean you are not going to triumph, so never under any circumstances give up, because it takes time and patience.  Someone who knows how to survive would take their errors as an advantage to learn from their mistakes and wouldn’t fall from their feet twice. Studies has shown that resilient people are able to endure with major setbacks in a healthy way. So, in other words, they know that falling is part of the process of success so instead of complaining about it they work on making themselves stronger because they know their story doesn’t end with a setback.

To survive, people always need to get through lengths and as humans we have an instinct for competition, a desire for victory, and only the fittest will triumph in this challenge. To conclude, self-motivation, embrace for change, and learning how to rise are key to survival. These is the attitude that pushes us to become the medalist, that help us to overcome the odds we confront on our daily basis.

Essay by Keessy Marcano

Summer is my favorite season of all four not only for the vacations but for the summer vibes. The hair gets lighter, skin gets darker, water gets warmer, drinks get colder, music gets louder, days get longer, nights get shorter, and life gets definitely better. Summer makes me feel alive, I can hear the happiness and the fun all around. The hot ocean breeze touching my body makes me feel new and free. The combination of the morning sky and the salty air is just fascinating. Every summer has its own story, so every day is a new chapter full of adventures and unique things to discover.

There is nothing with which to compare a summer morning and its delicate and beautiful sunrise. The tropical sun rising up, vanishing away the dark sky, illuminating every single spot. Waking up to the tempting smell of fresh hot coffee and breakfast is just wonderful. Not having to stress about waking up at 6:00 am because you have to go to school or work is like the apple to the pie. On casual summer mornings there are a lots of things you can do, maybe go running, swimming, start practicing a brand new hobby, or stay at home relaxed with your family or friends.

When someone mentions me summer all I can think about is me on the beach, palm trees, my toes playing with the warm sand, my skin getting sun kiss, the salty ocean breeze smell, and the soft sound of the small beach waves. Also the food. One reason why I love summer is because of the food! The sweet and juicy tropical fruits and the seafood: shrimps, lobster, fried fish, etc. are just delightful.

Something marvelous is when the sky takes an orange color as the night begins to fall. Watching the sunset on the horizon is more than beautiful. When the sun is completely set the night officially begins. Summer nights are magical, all stars are shinning, and the weather gets a little cold and it is perfect to start a bonfire or going to beach parties. But really, summer nights consist more of hanging out with your friends to the movies, sleepovers with the squad or just reading one of your favorite books.

In conclusion, summer is definitively my beloved season. The mornings are fabulous because you don’t have to wake up early and they are very bright. There are a lot of activities you can do like going camping, go swimming to a lake or to the beach. Something I love about this season is the sweet and juicy tropical fruits and the seafood. And last but not least for me summer nights are magical.

-Keessy Marcano

Parallelism Definition

Parallelism is the use of components in a sentence that are grammatically the same; or similar in their construction, sound, meaning or meter. Parallelism examples are found in literary works as well as in ordinary conversations. This method adds balance and rhythm to sentences giving ideas a smoother flow and thus can be persuasive because of the repetition it employs. 

Function of Parallelism

The use of parallel structures in speech or writing allows speakers and writers to maintain a consistency within their work and create a balanced flow of ideas. Moreover, it can be employed as a tool for persuasion as well because of the repetition it uses