After finishing the book, THE BRIDGE TO TERABITHIA by Katherine Paterson,Mrs. O
had her fifth grade students prepare a speech from the perspective of the main character,
Jess Aarons, who had matured into a well rounded adult. We were to
pretend that we were asked to give a speech on friendship. We were to
weave a metaphor or simile through their work using scenes from the story.
We were to share with the reader something of ourselves.
Here is my speech.
Entitled: The Friendship Creation
Hello! I am Jess Aarons, and I am here to talk to you about friendship.
This may not be interesting to you right now, but trust me it will one day.
You never know when your friend is going to disappear. I might talk about
friendship different than your teacher does.
I had a friend named Leslie. She was one of the most interesting friends I
had ever had. Well, Leslie was very much her own person. Everytime I saw
her, I was as happy as a sunflower. I remember when I meet Leslie. She had
just moved into the old Perkin’s place, next door to me. All I could hear
was a friendly, “Hello”.
My, did I use to hate Leslie. Back in those days all I cared about was
being the fastest kid in fifth grade. I thought my dad would be happier if
I won. You will never guess who won! Leslie won! That made me hate her
even more until I realized what an amazing imagination she had!
Remember when you were little and you learned that God created you. God
also created a special friend for you. Jesus died on the cross so you could
have a friend. Treat your friend the way God and Jesus would want you to.
Treat your friend with RESPECT. Leslie treated everyone with respect. One
time Leslie gave Janice Avery advice because her dad abused her, and the
whole school found out, because she told her friends. Her friends were not
trustworthy. They were not real friends. Be a real friend!
I love art and have a giant imagination, but when Leslie came up with the
idea about Terabithia, she had the giant imagination. Terabithia was a
place where everything was magical. Leslie and I loved Terabithia and tried
to create it like God created the world. You should have seen us going
around making sure everything was good!
Who would know that the girl who was the fastest kid in fifth grade would
be my best friend? Who would have known that the girl who enjoyed scuba
diving would be my best friend? Who would have known that my best friend
would die at the age of 10? Who would have known, ten years ago, the girl
who said hello to me would be my best friend, create Terabithia, and change
me to the man I am today? No one knew, except God. I really can’t talk
anymore, but I have three more things to say. One, live your life the way
God would want you to. Two, Leslie made me as happy as a daisy. Finally.
three, a friendship was created.
thedailylily.com 
Dear Grace,
Your faith is always like a blazing candle in all you do. Your writing always shares your faith. You are such a role model to us all. Keep up the excellent work.
Love, Mrs. O
Mrs. O you are the role model. You took me and transformed me into God’s Girl. I enjoy your stories about God and Jesus as well. Keep up all the GREAT work you do!
With Faith,
Grace
Mrs. O, I just wanted to say what a wonderful teacher you are! Everyday I wake up wondering what AMAZING thing you’ll do that day. I am blessed to have you as a teacher, and many people may say you are just another 5th grade teacher, but you aren’t. There is no one like you because it seems I never allowed to write stories about God. You changed that. That is why this year I am going to write Christian stories! I have never felt this way of a teacher. I also thank you for always being there for me. Sometimes I think what would I do without you. THAT’S A SCARY FEELING! At the end of the day I know you will always be with me. My grandmas are 200 miles away so when I see you it feels like you are my grandma! Grandmas give you that warm feeling inside that makes everything ok. Just when I see your smile I know everything is a.o.k. I could not dream of any teacher as strong and wonderful as you. You are the whole package!
With Faith and Love,
Grace
Hi Grace! You sound like a dyn-o-mite person. I love your insightful observations of Ms. O and your lauding her teaching gifts, skills and her Christian virtue. Your description reminds me of a Scripture in the Epistle, 2Corinthians 4:6-7 which states, 6) “For God, Who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, now shines in our hearts to give the LIGHT of the KNOWLEDGE of the GLORY of GOD in the Face of JESUS CHRIST 7) BUT WE HAVE THIS TREASURE IN EARTHEN VESSELS THAT THE EXCELLENCE OF THAT POWER, THAT LIGHT, THAT VIRTUE, IS OF GOD AND NOT OF US”
What a treasure you have in Ms. O and the light of Jesus that shines through her, shines through you and that light is powerful enough to change other people’s lives who encounter Christ’s light through you. And that light is powerful enough to shine through your writings and those who read what you write, your stories and poems and plays, will be changed by that light.
You will see more about this if you will please read Wendy’s article on this blog about the CANDLE LIGHT>
God bless you little soldier of the Cross!
Thank you for your kind words. I do think Mrs. O is the best teacher ever but it is her not me. She is the one with the gift.
With Faith,
little soldier of the Cross, Grace
Dearest Grace,
You light up my day. You have such a heart for people. You care for each one that crosses your path. What tenderness. I’ve seen you reach out and help those who struggle because you care. What a wonderful servant of the Lord. At 10 you are busy being Jesus’ hands, feet, and voice. Keep up the wonderful work you do. You are such a hard worker. May you continue to carry JOY wherever you go!
Love, Mrs. O
What a good speech Grace. I especially like the part where you tell us that God created a special friend for us. Telling that to someone is being a real friend just like you told us to be in your speech. Thanks for sharing this with us.
Thank you for your kind words. I enjoy hearing your words. You are a wonderful person!
With Faith,
Grace
Hi Grace, I love your story and its title, “The Friendship Creation.” I too, have two friends that make me happy as a daisy when they call or I see them. I like the thought that you have given us through your title we can create our friendships. WOW, what a thought.
Leslie, in the book “Bridge to Terabithia” opened worlds of imagination and learning to Jess, her new friend and this changed him for ever. It was Leslie’s idea to create Terabithia, their secret Kingdom in the woods where they reigned supreme. I like the part that Jess and Leslie were always learning and with their great imaganition combined with learning could overcome many things. They faced many obstacles in their family and world as we all do but they were able to connect as friends and use this creative force to help overcome. I also like to think about their secret Kingdom as when we pray The Lord Prayer. “Our Father, which art in Heaven, Thy Kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.”
WOW, God’s kingdom. Jesus said that God’s power would appear and renew all creation. God like a mighty king would rule over the earth according to a plan that unfolds from the beginning of the world. God’s kingdom would be marked by peace and justice. Good would be rewarded and evil punished. The kingdom, according to Jesus, is already present in our midst, though not yet revealed. We are taught to pray for it to come and God’s will to be done in the earth as it is in heaven.
Thanks again Grace for your story, and for “Bridge to Terabithia” read by Mrs. O. it encourged me today to think on God’s Kingdom and how we too can overcome many things in this world as well with the help of Jesus and His Kingdom.
Hello again! I always love to hear your kind words. They help me get through the day! I really want to thank you for that!!!!! I hope faith is with you today.
With Faith,
Grace
Grace, you indeed are one gifted writer. You have such a beautiful heart of expression that comes out in your words as you write…just think of all the friendships that are being created all through the world as they read what you are writing and sharing even now on the Daily Lily ….
Dorothy, thank you for your kind words. I enjoy hearing what you have to say. I do enjoy writing, but I think I have to wait a while till I can sell a best seller. Later on I am going to send other stories.
With Faith,
Grace