Years ago, I met a boy named Mike. I remember Mike as a cheerful, smart, and happy lad. As soon as he entered our school, he was already making people laugh at his funny jokes. Everday, he faced the world with a big smile. No one frowned when he was around. He seeme so worry-free. But not only do I remember Mike because of his remarkable happiness, I'll always remember him for he taught me a very valuable lesson in life. He taught me that with the right attitude and a strong determination, we could achieve our dreams

The tragedy happened one dark night when Mike was walking home from school. He was going home late for he had to finish a project in school with his friends. As he was fully crossing the street, humming, a car suddenly came out of nowhere and hit him. Everything went black for Mike as the paramedics took him to the hospital. The news was brought to me the next day. Worried, I immediately got in a cab and went to the hospital where he was staying. Then I learned that Mike badly broke a bone in his leg and might not walk again!

Upon hearing the news, I was surprised to see Mike's familiar big=toothed smile when I opened the door in his room. "Hi there!", he greeted me with delight. "The doctors said that I will have a cast soon. Wanna sign it?" I realized that Mike wasn't sad at all and had the great quality of seeing the brighter side of things. "Sure, I would love to!" I replied with the same amount of glee. I left the room that day with a new perspective. After a few weeks, Mike started to attend school again as his happy old self, only this time with a wheelchair. Everybody welcomed Mike back and offered him a push, but he refused. He said he could do it himself, thank you, and that someday, he would be able to walk again. Each day that passed, Mike worked hard with his physical therapist. Soon, he was up in crutches. One day, he promised himself that on graduation day, he would walk towards the stage to claim his diploma standing upright with no support. Although this sounded impossible, the look of great determination on his face changed everyone's minds. On the day of graduation, Mike was honored as a model student because of his great determination. When his name was called, Mike slowly rose from his chair leaving his crutches behind. Steadily, he took each step. Once he reached the stage, the room burst into applause. His parents cried. I myself could not resist the tears that welled up in my eyes. This certainly was an unforgettable moment.

The last time I saw Mike, he was still the same - facing the world with a big smile, and two standing feet.