Character Sketch

The Best Father

by Luke S.

     

     Bowing into the dojo, I saw my dad and Sensei Jim grappling on the mats. (My dad is a seventh- degree black- belt in Shito-ryu and Koryu Uchinadi. The sight of him just screams karate.) He had a smirk of satisfaction on his face, as he put Sensei Jim in a choke hold.

He stared at me as I was chuckling, and I could just tell he was having the time of his life.

     The dojo smelled of sweat as the two worked on new techniques. The sound of the kiais jolted me to attention, and as the students gathered to practice their katas and drills. Finishing his grappling     session with Sensei Jim, dad showed us a new technique and we started working on our punches. His guidance and expertise were exactly what we needed to advance our skills. Watching him teach, I was impressed by the precision of his punches and how perfect they were. His face was as stern as an ox as he let us practice our punching drills on his hands.  His hands felt as hard as rocks. He has been doing karate for so long that it was like we were hitting boulders. His solemn face never flinched as we punched as hard as we could at his hands. “It hurts, doesn’t it,” he said. 

     “Yeah,” I exclaimed, “a lot,” trying to hide how much it hurt. 

     My dad, my Sensei, dismissed class, and we got our stuff together to leave the dojo.  I looked over my shoulder to see him practicing again with Sensei Jim. He was doing the same drill as earlier. 

     My dad loves his craft and enjoys teaching it as his passion. My strong, loving, caring father never gives up nor lets me down.

A Friend Through My Eyes

by Caleb M.

            I am waiting for Kai to get here, and it seems like I have been waiting forever. I look through the window and remember the funny jokes we've told. Usually we will talk until gymnastics starts, but sometimes he is late.  I remember when we began gymnastics and he and I got new skills. Kai is hardworking  but does not make skills as easily as others. Kai does not give up when things seem hard or impossible, a feature that I have very little of. Kai does not get mad at people for small things.

            “I don't think I have ever seen Kai get mad before,” I say to myself.                                                

“You haven't,” I say to myself. 

            Kai is skinny like a stick, but neither he nor I cares about it. He has black hair like the midnight sky without any moon or stars. He is pale and not much taller than I am. His eyes are bright blue and they shine brighter than a star. Kai does not look strong, but anyone who knows him well should know that he is not weak. 

             Sometimes there are days he can't come to gymnastics, but I know he can today.

            “What if he doesn't come?” I ask to myself  but, I know he will come because I know he knows that it is a special day

            I look out the window and see his car pull up. I am so exited because I have big news to tell him. He walks into the room and I nearly shout, “Hello!” It feels like I have been waiting forever.

My Mom

by Victoria C.

     My dad always says my mom is the prettiest woman in the world, and I would agree. She has long, dark hair that glimmers in the rays of the sun. She likes to wear it long and straight, cascading over her shoulders to the middle of her back. Her eyes are big and brown like a lovely doe-eyed deer. She likes to wear mascara to make her eyelashes extra-long, and black eyeliner to make her eyes look larger. Her smile is the sun, warming all who see it. Her favorite color is black, which can be seen in the outfits she wears. Usually she wears a black, scoop-necked blouse, blue jeans, and short black boots. She likes to look stylish, so she often wears infinity scarves and silver jewelry like hoop earrings and shiny bracelets.  

      One thing I love about my mom is her sense of humor. She laughs very quickly if you tell her a joke, and when she meets new people, she uses her sense of humor to help break the ice so no one feels uncomfortable. Another thing I like about her is that she likes to have fun! She sometimes plays games with my brother and me, or takes us to someplace special such as the zoo or the park. She loves to travel and take spontaneous road trips! She does all of these things and much more. It always seems like her wheelchair never slows her down. 

      “Come on, guys, let’s go!” 

What a Lovely Woman

by Haddon H.

                                                                                                                    

If you saw her out and about, you would think, “What a lovely woman! Well-dressed, always with a smile, I bet she is a splendid grandmother.”  You would be right, and I am blessed because she is my grandmom.  She does look lovely, but do not be fooled into thinking that she is not a brave, strong woman who can take care of herself.  She is who we call to kill snakes that get too close to the house or barn.  You can hear her shout, “Stand back kids! I am ready to cut off the head!”  

My grandmom is like an American soldier when she sees the American flag.  She works in the insurance business, and she must know everyone in this area because people of all walks of life are always happy to see her.  She is like family to so many people, and she shares her beliefs in God and this country to anyone who will listen.   She seems to know the answer to every question, no matter how random.  If she has something break in her house, she knows how to fix things.

When I am at her house, my mouth waters with the smells of her home cooking.  She makes the best burgers and fries. When you are stuffed like a Thanksgiving turkey, she will still be asking if you want more!  She helps my mom often by driving my sister and me to different places.  Her car is a second home because she spends a lot of time driving for work and helping people.  Sometimes her car smells like her dog, a huge bull mastiff named Patriot who goes with her on car rides.  I love my grandmom; I never know what to expect next from her!

My Father This Is

by Zayden J.

My father is a very successful coastal engineer, which basically involves much sitting in front of a computer, as well as “playing with sand and water,” as the rest of us have lightheartedly joked.  He has been on many interesting business trips, both within the U.S. and in other parts of the world.  Growing up, my father helped on a large vegetable farm in North Carolina.  He is a neat person, as well as a very faithful character.  

My father enjoys spending time in his workshop, crafting useful carpentry from wood.  He has made many different things for my family, including desks, flowery shelf brackets, tables, cabinets, and many other furniture items.  My father is a person of average height, as far as this generation goes, with dark, curly hair that is slowly getting lighter, as well as green eyes behind glasses, and pale skin.  He plays deep bass guitars, and owns several.  He is also an epee fencer, and has been for half a year.

My father enjoys spending family time with us.  He watches science fiction TV shows with us, or sometimes plays fun board games.  He also takes care of our dog, Piper, taking her outside and playing with her.  

A very interesting thing about my father is that he has deep, intricately carved thoughts about the Christian faith.  He can sit down and talk about what the Bible means for a long time, which is nice to do sometimes.  

My father likes to quote things from Batman, Doctor Who, and Star Wars, using fandom-type movies and TV shows as mirrors to reflect his sense of humor:

“Hey, can you do this favor for me?”

“Well, I’ll try…”

“Do or do not; there is no try,” Dad says in his best Yoda impression.

The Young Princess

by Logan D.

Chloe is a cute four-year-old girl who has a sweet personality.  Despite that she’s a bit glum in the morning, come mid-morning Chloe is contagiously joyful and full of love.

 Her tiny face is a cupcake, smoothly spread with icing and lightly dashed with small sprinkles around her nose and cheeks.  Her cute little bow is the cherry on top that makes everything sweeter.  Her strawberry-blonde hair, thin as butterfly eyelashes, falls slightly above her mid back.  Her blue-green eyes are like the middle of a Green peafowl peacock feather, and her small, heart-shaped earrings sparkle and shine when flashed with light.  Without even thinking, Chloe is quick to show off her pink painted hands and toenails to all her friends and family.  

Being totally oblivious of her surroundings, the young child peacefully plays with her dolls and softly mumbles what she wants them to say.  As I walk to her, I notice it takes a little bit of talking and movement to get her to notice anything happening around her.

“Hey Chloe,” I say.

“Yes,” she says with a gentle voice.

“What are you doing?”

“Just playing with my toys,” she says “Do you want to play with me?”

“I’m sorry, I can’t right now, but I wanted to ask you a question.”

“What is it?” she asks.

“I wanted to know if you would be okay with my writing a paper about you?”

“Yes!” she gasps excitedly.

A Day at Discovery Cove
by Zach S.

We were all wearing wetsuits on that blistering hot day at Discovery Cove. The pool was kept at sixty degrease which explains why we had wetsuits on. The man standing next to me was my grandfather. He had a kind, wrinkled face. As he got in the water, his beautiful light blue eyes got as wide as a lightbulb. It was cold! 

It took us about ten seconds to warm up and get used to the temperature. We went deeper−about up to our waist−and he waited patiently for the trainer to finish giving the instructions. All of the sudden his face lit up like the sun. Looking at a gray blob, he started to speak to me. I couldn’t understand the pathetic, slurred words, but I knew that he was overjoyed. Parkinson’s disease had cursed his body for the last ten years, making it difficult for him to speak and move. His determination kept him going, and it inspired me. The blob turned into a majestic dolphin that pulled up in front of us. There was one thing PopPop said that I could completely understand, “Wow!”

We got to touch and feed the dolphin. PopPop was like a kid in a candy store. He was smiling from ear to ear. It was great to see how happy he was. Our photographer captured a moment of the older man’s eyes fixed on the dolphin. His thin gray hair was wet from the animal’s tail splashing in the water.

 PopPop did not want to leave. When we started to exit the dolphin pond, we almost left him there. I said, “Hey, PopPop, we’re leaving.” He looked up and waded onto shore with my help, and his weakened body sat and rested.

Mom

by Josiah C,

            On long and lengthy days and evenings when all the spirit in the house has left the home there is still tranquility . When no one is awake, mentally or physically in the house, my mom is alert. There is one who doesn't get bothered about the opinion of other people. One who understands the dialect of those past. The one who stands for people who can't stand for themselves, as a defender standing guard. My defender, my guard,  my up-lifter; she’s all of it. She knows who I am. She watches me like my guardian angel. She is my great mother, and a great friend. She does the impossible during a storm or a mental breakdown. One cannot compare her worth among all the riches in the world.

My mom is a great mother in many ways and always going for the extra mile. She works through headaches and migraines. Dealing with countless loud arguments like never ending sound waves, she triumphs through. She gets little sleep to help my brother and I so we can become successful God fearing men. She Gives fifteen-minute breaks to our tired minds. Very often, she says, “I’m so proud of my big boys.”  I do not want to disrespect anything she has sacrificed. I love her so much. I know she loves me more than I could ever love her. She's done nothing but prove her unselfish acts of love. My mom is the best mom anyone could ask for.

Exploding Kittens with My Cousins

by Caelie J.

As we pull into my grandmother’s driveway, the gazebo in the backyard slides across the car window.  My eleven-year old cousins, Claire and Ava, are sitting on the porch swing inside the gazebo.  They both have dark hair and dark brown, almond-shaped eyes, and their skin is several shades darker than mine, as if they have a perpetual tan.  They are twins, adopted from Kazakhstan and brought to the U.S. a month before their first birthday.

But although they are twins, they have very different personalities.  Claire likes to dance; Ava plays soccer, basketball, softball, and volleyball.  Claire is a bit quiet; Ava likes to talk.  They are also alike in many ways, however.  They are outgoing and friendly, and they like to have fun.  Sometimes when they are having fun, they both get really silly.  My cousins love to take goofy selfies together.  Both like to experiment with their hair, and Claire loves makeup.  My cousins both love their white Cockapoo, Molly, who is woolly like a sheep. They have a slight Southern twang, because they live in North Carolina.  

When my sister and I reach the gazebo, Claire and Ava hop up off the swing and wave.

            “Hey, Caelie and Zayden!” Ava greets us.

            “Hi, Claire and Ava,” I reply.

            “So, do y’all want to play a game?” suggests Claire.

            “Sure,” Zayden answers, “We brought Exploding Kittens.  It’s actually really fun!”

            “Exploding kittens?!” Claire and Ava gasp.

            “Where the kittens shed in nuclear reactors,” I say as I begin to explain the game.

            “Wow, that sounds like a weird game.” Ava says, “Let’s try it!”

Parent Perfect

by Chase W.

My dad works at a place called Penske, where he sells and rents trucks to people. He wanted to be a dentist, but that didn’t work out for him. . He always wears a polo shirt because he has to look nice for his boss at work He orders because he is the district manager and he takes his job seriously. His eyes are hazel, so he takes after his mom’s side of the family. He is really tall man, standing at six feet, but he is still too small to be good at basketball. My dad never cares about what people think about him when we are in public, which causes him to embarrass us on purpose sometimes. He lost his sense of smell when he had an allergic reaction to medicine, so he doesn’t know if something is burning when he cooks it. He grew up in Mississippi, which means he has a Southern accent, so sometimes he mumbles like a toddler that is just learning how to speak. He has lost his hair, which he likes to make jokes about.

“Man, I look like Squidward when I wake up,” he tells us, “and especially when I play the clarinet.”

He hates to spend a lot of his hard- earned money, so he doesn’t get a lot of things we don’t need. His car is always clean, and it smells exactly like it did when he first got it. My dad likes to play golf. Even if he isn’t that good at it, he still plays because, as he says, “Never quit, or you will never be successful in life.” 

The Day I Saw Him

by Gabrielle S.

            He lies there staring at the ceiling.  He turns his head after hearing footsteps in the room.  You can tell his mind is trying to seek you, but it’s like it’s lost in a desert of nothing but sand.  His face shows his youth, but his body is weak and thin like twigs that could snap in the wind.  No words can explain how he must feel after his body has rejected the transplant drugs.  I can’t even imagine the pain his body is enduring.

            He has always been so fun, no one would suspect that he is sick.  As I stare at his tired face, I try to hold in the puddles of tears in my eyes.  I swallow hard. 

            “Hello,” I say in a low tone, but he doesn’t reply.  I take another swallow and try again. “Hello, Uncle Daniel.”  Still no answer.  My mind is filled with confusion and questions I don’t know the answers to.

            “Why him, Lord why?”  I ask myself.  With tears in my eyes, I see his face try to look at me and pull through the clouds of confusion.  My face lightens up and I grin.  not a day goes by where I don’t think of him and how thankful I am that he is still with us.  The Lord made the choice to let him live his every second, to breathe his every breath, and to praise Him in every day.

A Lovely Grandma

by Joshua B.

      Our amazing grandma is elegant, wise, joyous, and kind.  She is also strong, with brilliant eyes. Though her back leans -- some days more and some days less -- everyday she is shod in a lovely smile.  This fascinating smile is largest when she is either helping someone or greeting me and my siblings.                        
     “Hey, how have you been, sweethearts?” she asks, working in her beloved garden.

     “Great,” we reply, grinning.

     “Well, could you help me pull some weeds?” 

     “Sure, Grandma,” we say.

     Our faithful grandmother is like an angel to those in need.  Who would have thought one elderly lady could do so much to make the world a better place, helping whenever it is in her power to do so.   Her  encouraging smile helps people to push on.  She is a teacher of children, helping them to know what it is like to truly love the Lord and obey His commands.

      Because of her age, her beautiful face is covered in wrinkles, but these wrinkles are like  rivers of knowledge slowly meandering past ancient willows drooping in late summer.  However wonderful this feature is, though, it does not comes close to her eyes, deep and joyful.  You must have keen sight, but if you look closely, you will notice the light in her eyes. This light comes from a strong desire to know her Creator more and more, and to share with the world around her, Jesus Christ.

      My beloved grandma is a beautiful woman who is my inspiration. 

My Little Sister, Aretha

by Katie C.

     Araetha- Grace is a curious child. She is the most interesting person in the house. Even her name, Araetha-Grace Lazado Campbell is very interesting and unique. Most people think, little sisters are annoying and childish, but Araetha is the exact opposite. At six years old, she corrects her older brother like someone who eats Smarties for breakfast! No one knows what goes on in her head, but it must be pretty confusing – something we would have never thought of. Araetha will sometimes roll her eyes at me and say, “For the last time, I know what to do. Now go do your work if you don’t want Mommy to get mad at you!”

    In the mornings, not even a tiny bit of grumpiness is to be found in her tiny face. Araetha’s eyes are always wide open and very observant. Sometimes we will underestimate her and she will win every game we play. Araetha is also a really fast learner. From board games to math, only one person could quickly learn and get every single thing done and correct… Araetha!

      She seems pretty mature, but when she falls asleep every night, I see her brown hair tossed out of the covers, soaked with sweat. Her lips are hanging apart; a trail of saliva running down her cheeks. The slightest sound will cause her to shift her position and slightly frown. When I see all of this, I realize that she is a little girl.

    She can do and think of a lot of things others can’t, but that doesn’t mean she is good at everything! However, I would say that the most creative, most sensitive, smartest 6- year- old award goes to… my little sister, Aretha!

Dad

  by John V

            He is strong, kind, and slightly old. When he bends down to pray for me I see his bald spot, a tiny island of skin surrounded by an ocean of hair.  ''Oh God, thank you for  John, '' he prays, '' Make him more like You, that he would mature and grow stronger. Amen.'' Long before I wake up in the morning he has already gone to the YMCA. After swimming for at least an hour, he will go to work.

           My dad can build or fix almost anything. His garage is filled with tools and pieces of wood. His hands are like a battle-field of scars from tools and accidents, but still they are skillful.

           Though he works with his hands, he is very knowledgeable. He has two degrees, one in theology and one in pharmacology. He also understands five  languages and is fluent in two of them. He knows far more than that in other things like scuba diving, hunting, sailing, fishing, and Boy Scouts.

            My dad is very invested in Boy Scouts. When he was growing up in South Africa he learned all about scouts. Since there was no adult leader for his troop, he was the only leader they had. Now he is a merit badge counselor for family life, swimming, and small boat sailing. He is always going on scout campouts. He is the parent who can start a fire with one match. He is the parent who can make a working survival shelter. He is the parent who can splint a broken collar bone. He is my dad!