Memoirs part 3

Friendship is one of the most powerful relationships one can have. It is an unbreakable bond that will forever connect two people. In Lisa See's memoir, Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, she describes her powerful bond with Snow Flower, the laotong she was paired with at the age of seven. "a laotong relationship is made by choice... when we first looked into each other's eyes in the palanquin I felt something special pass between us--like a spark to start a fire or a seed to grow rice. But a signal spark is not enough to warm a room nor is a single seed enough to grow a fruitful crop. Deep love--true-heart love-must grow" (See 77). A friendships takes an initial spark but also work and understanding. If two people puts in all the work a friendship will grow and be a connection forever. A friendship is the deepest connection that two people can have. A friendship can occur wife and husband but this is not the case for Lisa. "Snow Flower was my old same for life. I had a greater and deeper love for her than I could ever feel for a person who was my husband." (119) Friendships are the strongest connection people can have, they tie you together closer than a marriage or any other bond. A friendship teaches you the most important lessons in life. Lisa and Snow Flower learned a lot from the connection they had with each other. "I am still learning about love. I thought I understood it-not just mother love, but the love for one's parents, for one's husband, and for one's laotong. I've experiences the other types of love--pity love, respectful love and gratitude love. But looking at our secret fan with its messages written between Snow Flower and me over many years, I see that I didn't value the most important love--deep-heart love."(prologue) The bond between friends shines light on the most important lessons in life and the the real meaning of love. Friendship is the deepest connection and most valuable thing in life.

It takes a lot of guts and to be a Navy SEAL. Marcus Luttrell accounts his experiences as a seal in his memoir Lone Survivor. "Men of the special forces have had other options in their lives, other paths, easier paths they could have taken. But they took the hardest path, the narrow causeway that is not for the sunshine patriot. They took the one for the supreme patriot, the one that may require them to lay down their lives for the United States of America" (Luttell) There is differently easier jobs in the world but navy seals pick to put themselves in dangerous situations all in order to protect America. It takes a special kind of man to be a Navy SEAL. "In times of uncertainty there is a special breed of warrior ready to answer our Nations call; a common man with uncommon desire to succeed. Forged by adversity, he stands alongside Americans finest special operations forces to serve his country and the American people, and to protect their way of life. I am that man" (Luttell) One must have that unique desire in order to withstand the hardships that come along with being a SEAL. These men are held to a higher standard then anyone else. "I will never quit. I persevere and thrive on adversity. My Nations expects me to be physically harder and mentally stronger than my enemies. If knocked down, I will get back up, every time. I will draw on every remaining ounce of strength to protect my teammates and to accomplish our mission. I am never out of the fight" (prologue) SEALs must be stronger and barer than anyone they may have to fight. Not everybody has what it takes to be a Navy SEAL, it is a hard job that requires a lot, sometimes even the life, of the men that take on the responsibility.