Connections to Jal - Blog 4

Dear Jal,

My name is Spencer Page and I live in a city called Toronto located in Canada. As part of my Grade 11 English curriculum I am reading your novel War Child. After completing the book I have learned and imagined the struggle, fear and loss that you felt while serving as a War Child. Your book truly touched me and made me consider what a lucky life I am living. Although we come from two different worlds and it is unrealistic for me to relate my life to yours in a sense of war, fear and loss, there are a few other things that I would like to share with you. 

Your book talks about your hero, and true savior Emma McCune. Although it is not on the same scale I too have someone who acts like Emma. My Hero’s are both of my parents. They have worked so hard and sacrificed so much in order to pay for the education, food, toys, and sports that my sisters and I have the luxury of enjoying. The book talks about how you “Want to be like Emma McCune,” and I feel the same way about my parents. 

The Biggest connection I can make with you is our love for music and how we use it express the way we feel. Music often allows us to show different emotions, tell different stories and teach people things they may not have known. I have listened to many of your songs and I am a big fan. The most powerful lyric to me is, “I lost my father in this battle. My brothers. All my life I’ve been hiding in the jungle, the pain I’m cutting is too much to handle.” Hearing lyrics like this makes me understand and sympathize with what children like you had to live with and experience in your younger years as a War Child. “I believe I’ve survived for a reason to tell my story to touch lives,” is an understatement. I believe that you survived because of hope, heart and a lot of love. Your story that is now known world wide will continue to touch children and adults around the world, just how it did to me.

Sincerely,

Spencer