Credits.

Images - found at stock.exchng, Google search
Brushes - Hybrid-Genesis.Com, Annika von Holdt
Program - Layout created in Adobe Photoshop CS, coded in Adobe Dreamweaver CS3.

I was inspired to make this layout after watching a Japanese drama, 1 Litre of Tears - if you haven't watched it yet, you are certainly missing out! It is about a girl named Ikeuchi Aya, who struggles with Spinocerebellar Degeneration disease and how her family, school, and social life is impacted, and how she finally deals with it. The series is based on Kito Aya, who was diagnosed with the disease in the 1980’s and wrote in her diary, which was published a short while before her death. I cried at least a few times each episode - I probably cried more than a liter of tears, lol… xD

It challenged me to think about how society treats the disabled as it’s something I’ve never really thought about before, that they are not merely burdensome objects but dependent human beings just like you and me.
Though the series isn’t Christian-based, it also convicted me in my faith; it may seem totally unfair that God allows tragedy to happen to certain people, but such things happen that change the “victim” and others around for the better, and therefore should also be seen as a blessing.

It is also a good reminder of how fragile and precious life is, and that there’s always hope and a future for anybody, no matter how obscure and short it seems. Therefore, I felt that the image of sunrise among the trees conveyed a satisfactory sense of life and a better tomorrow. The line that I came up with, "Look forward and live on forever" (hopefully accurately) summarized what I believe to be Ikeuchi Aya's belief throughout the series despite her numerous struggles. As Asou Haruto is probably her #1 most important non-familial person, it seemed fitting to include him in the layout for Aya's belief changed his life. =]]

All in all, 1 Litre of Tears is definitely more purposeful than other dramas. It’s a beautiful and powerful story, and is a definite must-watch drama!! =]]

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