ALINA
What It’s Really Like Living with One Arm
My answer would be: Only the one who experienced it may answer this question. Only the one, who faced it, may give an advice. And only the one who passed through it may understand what it is like.
It was not mentioned in her interview, but as she was born without an arm, I could hardly imagine what she had to overcome during her childhood and adolescence. Having found herself in life and having fully accepted her in the way she is, Victoria may be named as an inspiring symbol, for those who have to overcome the obstacles “that life throws in your way.” In fact, I am pretty sure that the name that her parents gave to their daughter, clearly reflects the philosophy that Victoria follows and spreads around.
Living in Manzanar during World War II
The first thing that I came across while reading this article was the sense of déjà vu. Something very similar has happened in Soviet Union not long before and during WWII. The whole ancestries and saying more, the whole nations have been removed from the land where they were born and placed into the cams, which were rapidly organized in the deserted areas. Some chronographers called this forced migration with a very suitable and frightening word “uprooting.”
The second thing that I noticed was the word, which was mentioned by Victoria in her interview and which was also mentioned in the article. It’s the word adversity. This fact gave me an idea that the similarity of the distress in which Ray and Victoria turned out to find themselves was just another point of contact that led to their friendship.
Ciela and Ray’s relationship
Ciela and Ray have a friendship and mentor-student relationship. Even though they speak different languages, they connect through gardening. Ray teaches Ciela how to take care of plants and helps her feel more comfortable in a new place.
Ray tells Ciela: “Just because someone gives you something, you don’t need to accept it.”
This means that people don’t always have to take what is offered to them, especially if it doesn’t feel right.
For Ciela, this lesson is important. She is given a prosthetic arm, but she feels uncomfortable wearing it. People expect her to be “normal” with the prosthetic, but she realizes that she should decide for herself.
This lesson is useful in real life, too. For example:
• Making your own choices – Sometimes, family or society expects us to follow a certain path, but we should choose what feels right for us.
• Saying no to unwanted gifts or help – Not all offers are good. If someone gives you something but expects something in return, you don’t have to accept it.
Being true to yourself – We don’t have to change ourselves just to please others.
What is Manzanar?
Manzanar was one of the Japanese internment camps in the United States during World War II. After Japan attacked Pearl Harbor in 1941, the U.S. government forced Japanese-Americans to move into camps because they were suspected of being spies. Many of these people were American citizens, but they were still taken away from their homes.
Life in the Camp
The camp was surrounded by barbed wire and soldiers. People lived in small wooden buildings with no heating. Food was limited, and conditions were dirty and uncomfortable.
Despite the hardships, people tried to live normally. They built schools, grew food, and played sports.
Many years later, the U.S. government admitted that sending Japanese-Americans to camps was unfair. In 1988, the government apologized and gave money to the survivors. Today, Manzanar is a historic site that reminds people of this injustice.
Ciela planting the seeds that Ray gave her
Ciela is planting seeds to preserve the memory of life in Mrs. Danforth’s house, particularly the beautiful garden there. Ciela loved this garden, and now she will always remember Ray, their conversations, and his kindness.
I would like to share a story about my mom. My mother loved growing flowers, and we had many flowers in our home. Once, when we moved to a new apartment, she gifted her plants to different people. One plant she gave to my child’s teacher at a foreign language school. Ten years later, I visited the school and told the teacher that my mom had passed away. To my surprise, she showed me the plant my mom had given her. It brought back memories of my childhood, my home, and my mom, who lovingly cared for her plants. These memories warmed my soul.
the interview with Victoria Canal, the actress who plays Ciela – Your thoughts?
Victoria was asked about her life without an arm, and she shared that it has made her a stronger and more aware person. She said that every day, we can wake up knowing that we have the strength to overcome any obstacle life throws our way. The world has shown her that she is invincible. This is such a powerful thought because, every morning, we should remind ourselves that the world is open to us, and we have the ability to improve our lives.
I also want to talk about Victoria. She is an incredible woman – a musician and singer who can play both the piano and guitar, which is truly amazing. Additionally, she shares inspiring posts on her social media about her life and offers motivation to others. She is a strong, smart, and talented person.
Here is Victoria playing the piano and singing a Michael Jackson song!
“Just because someone gives you something, you don’t need to accept it.” – your thoughts?
When I watched the video, I didn’t understand why Ciela agreed to accept that arm. In the movie I can see that Ciela didn’t want to use and wear that artificial arm. All her life she lived without one arm, and she got used to it. I agree that Mrs. Danforth wanted the best, but she can’t know what’s the best for Ciela because Mrs. Danforth never can put herself in Ciela’s place. And those words “Don’t you want to be normal?” – Ciela already IS normal, and she has always been normal! If Ciela attached a chainsaw instead of prosthesis and chased people, I think that wouldn’t be normal!! Any peculiarity in appearance does not make a person abnormal.
Back to the topic, my opinion is that every human should be able to say, “NO” to someone when it is necessary; otherwise, at best, it will lead to disappointment, and at worst it may have the bad effect in the future, even leading to manipulation. Ray had his own situation when he declined to accept money for his having been imprisoned. The government thinks it can ruin someone’s life and then pay them off with money. It doesn’t work like that with some people.
the importance of saying, “THANK YOU.”
I try to say “Thank you” every time when it is necessary. I don’t see anything difficult about saying “Thank you” to someone who really helped you. Thus, that question usually isn’t raised. Of course, if that person I thanked will need help, I’ll also help. On the other hand if someone who I helped didn’t tell me “Thank you”, the next time there will be no help from me. 😁
the interview with Victoria Canal, the actress who plays Ciela – Your thoughts?
In the interview Victoria Canal who played Ciela responded on the question “What It’s Really Like Living with One Arm” and talked about the reason of her disability – she was born without an arm due to a syndrome. Victoria said that her condition makes her a stronger, more awake, more aware person because she constantly makes decisions based on her missing arm, in other words she is concentrated and conscious all the time.
She wanted to convey that people who are able to are privileged in some way and at the same time people like her are also privileged in their own way. She meant you can overcome obstacles despite any adversity. As I understand, she wanted to inspire everyone to achieve their goals. She, a woman without an arm, was able to learn play musical instruments, so what is stopping you from doing what you really want?
“Just because someone gives you something, you don’t need to accept it.”
I think Ciela respected Ray and treated him as wise advisor with a lot of life experience, in turn Ray felt sorry for her and tried to support her. Their relationship is kind of a child-parent: he took care of her; she learned from him. Ray said “Just because someone gives you something, you don’t need to accept it” after the moment when he realized that Ciela didn’t like the prosthesis and tried to get rid of it.
Ray’s message was about setting boundaries and being mindful of one’s own needs and desires. It can teach someone to say “No” to the proposals that don’t align with him, because sometimes people who give something expect something in return. Therefore, before you accept anything, you should think it over carefully.
In my life there was one case, when I had to decide which way I chose. While I was working for a company with great relationships with colleagues and the CEO and a healthy work environment, I received an offer from another organization with a higher salary. However, they had an unstable work schedule, and I knew that their managers did not respect the work-life balance due to the need to complete projects on time. So, I refused this offer and stayed in my job at that time because I was sure that I would sell myself by sacrificing my personal life.
the importance of saying, “THANK YOU.”
In Russian, this word sounds like “save God”, (thank you = спаси Бог) because all mercy comes from God through people. And by thanking people, we thank God.
And at the same time, the one we thank was saved. We ask God to save us from pride, self-interest, jealousy. It is a great mercy for every person that God saves us. This is an important word. And it must be said often.
“The garden was never mine.” – Your thoughts?
I think Ray realizes that in this world nothing belongs to a person except his experiences, thoughts and feelings. Even the body is given to us temporarily.
When a person realizes this, he stops clinging to everything material and grows spiritually. So Ray, despite the fact that he has been caring for the garden for more than 20 years, is calm about its loss. And he teaches Ciela a lesson
Ciela planting the seeds that Ray gave her
This gift was very important for Ciela. It helped her to feel support in the new situation of her life based on past experience and even support her older sister.
The seed is a symbol of the continuation of life. As long as we sow something, do something, our life continues. And it is wonderful that Ciela named her ”seed” – her son – Ray.
the interview with Victoria Canal, the actress who plays Ciela – Your thoughts?
I’d like to talk about Àlex Roca Campillo. He is from Catalonia, Spain. When he was six months old, he had brain herpes, which caused cerebral palsy. Doctors didn’t think he would survive. He uses sign language to communicate because the left side of his body has limited movement.
Roca has participated in several endurance events, including five triathlons.
In 2019, he became the first person with cerebral palsy to complete the Titan Desert race, a six-day mountain bike race across Morocco’s Atlas Mountains and Sahara Desert. Since November 2021, he has been an ambassador for the FC Barcelona Foundation. On March 19, 2023, he made history by becoming the first person with cerebral palsy to complete the Barcelona Marathon, finishing in 5 hours, 50 minutes, and 21 seconds. Alex Roca wins the marathon.
Roca met his wife, Mari Carmen Maza, in 2017 at a motivational conference. She helps interpret his sign language for those who don’t understand it.
When people ask why he ran the marathon, he says it’s because running makes him happy. He believes humans are here to do things that make a difference. He also wants to inspire families with disabled members, showing them that they shouldn’t be afraid to encourage their loved ones to chase their goals.
He hopes to set an example, not just through sports but by overcoming fears and limits. Seeing himself succeed in his bright yellow jersey reminds him of how far he has come. As a child, he used to lock himself in his room and cry because people didn’t take him seriously. Now, those same people ask for his photos and autographs.
Similarly, Ciela wants to be treated like any other woman. But this raises the question – what do we consider “normal?” Alex often asks interviewers: Do you think you have any disability? He always hopes for the answer: Dude, just one?
Ciela planting the seeds that Ray gave her
I believe those seeds represent the right to decide your own life. Ciela moves in with her sister to build a better future together, but she dreams of a life where no one decides what’s best for them. The gardener, Ray, gives her the seeds as a symbol of a fresh start.
“The garden was never mine.” – Your thoughts?
Losing a job due to the death of a boss can evoke a complex mix of emotions for a gardener, especially if they had a close or long relationship with their employer. Here are three different feelings a gardener could feel in this situation:
Grief and Loss
The gardener might feel profound sadness, not only for the loss of their job but also for the death of their boss, especially if they shared a personal connection. Gardening often involves working closely with someone over time, and the boss may have been more than just an employer. He could have been a mentor, friend, or someone who shared a deep appreciation for the garden. Here Ray just realized that the garden he loved, worked hard to maintain was not effectively his own.
Uncertainty and Anxiety
Losing a job unexpectedly can create feelings of uncertainty about the future. The gardener might worry about how he will support himself or find new work, especially if he was deeply attached to the garden and the role he played in maintaining it. He might also feel anxious about it.
Resentment or Betrayal
Depending on the circumstances, the gardener might feel a sense of resentment or betrayal, particularly if the boss died without proper compensation, a testimony, or a plan for the garden’s future to the children. If the gardener worked with heart and soul on that garden, the emotional impact of his phrase shows how sad, he ended and realized that in fact it was not his garden no matter hard work he did to maintain it beautiful and blooming.
Gardener Ray and Ciela couldn’t talk because Ciela didn’t speak English, but Ray showed her that you don’t always need words to be friends.
He invited her to work in the garden, and together they took care of the flowers. Even though Ciela had only one hand, she still worked hard. Before she left, Ray gave her some seeds. He wanted her to remember that we all have a beautiful garden inside us, and we can make the world around us kinder and brighter, no matter where we are.
Ciela and Ray’s relationship
Their relationship seems to be based on trust and mutual respect. Ray, as a gardener, could represent wisdom and experience, while Ciela could be seeking guidance and learning. The phrase “Just because someone gives you something doesn’t mean you have to accept it” means that it is important to be discerning and not blindly accept everything that is offered to us, whether it is objects, ideas or opportunities. Personally, this advice can be applied in everyday life by learning to say no to things that do not align with our values or needs, even if they seem attractive at first glance.
the importance of saying, “THANK YOU.”
Saying “thank you” is an important way to show gratitude and acknowledge the efforts of others. In my personal life, I try to say “Thank you” as often as possible, because it shows others that their actions are appreciated. Sometimes we may forget to say it out of habit or distraction, but it’s always important to remember that recognition can strengthen relationships and encourage positive behaviors. Not saying “thank you” can be perceived as a lack of respect or appreciation.
“The garden was never mine.” – Your thoughts?
Ray says, “The garden was never mine” to express the fact that, although he takes care of the garden, he does not own it. This can mean that the garden is an independent entity, and his role is simply to maintain and protect it. This phrase can also reflect a philosophy of detachment and humility, where Ray recognizes that the beauty and nature of the garden exists beyond his own influence. It can remind us that some things in life are temporary and it is important to appreciate them without trying to own or control them entirely.