It had been twelve years since eighteen-year-old Sara Bonnell had seen her aunt Alison and her cousin Antony Donaghey so last August, she took a long bus ride and came for a visit - She's still here.

Like a lot of teenagers, Sara was having trouble getting along with her parents.

Over the past couple of years Sara started back to three different schools but never lasted more than two months. She's also had at least 6 jobs. Nothing worked.

There seems to be a difference of opinion on whether the "visit" really was just a visit or had Sara come to check out the family and, if she found them acceptable ... move in. It was also noted that her bus ticket was a one-way ticket. There was a lot of laughter around the subject.

The bottom line is she is still here, she is going to school and doing well and she has a job that's going well too, all conditions laid down by her Aunt Alison if she was going to continue to live with her and Antony.

According to Alison, Sara is doing exceptionally well and she has a great personality. She summed it up by saying, "Sara brings a lot into a room. She's doing well at school and at work and she pitches in to do her chores. ["Although sometimes on the wrong days," Sara laughed.]

"Yes, we are trying to teach her the days of the week." Alison joined the laughter.

Fourteen-year-old Antony likes having Sara around too.

"She has encouraged me to do stuff," he says, "and she's always on my case so I don't get in trouble. And we talk a lot."

But at first, Antony had some strict rules around Sara's behavior at school.

She wasn't allowed talk to him at any time and if she saw him in the hall, she was to ignore him. ["But I could smile and nod my head slightly," Sara piped in with a giggle] Those rules were soon forgotten.

So how does Sara like her new life?

"It doesn't look so scary," was her first response. "Before it was this huge unattainable thing ... [At that point tears started to form and her voice cracked]

"It's like nothing is going to hold me back any more," she continued through her tears," and I can just do what I need to do to be me and be happy. I couldn't do that before.

"Now, coming here, I have this person who can listen and the things she says and her actions make me feel like I am home finally after not being home for so long.

"And I feel this is the path I was supposed to take. I was supposed to mess up and fight with my parents so that when I became happy, it was a big thing.

"When you have that positive influence, it really makes a big difference.

"It's the things she says. Like being told she's glad you are here and that she's happy to have you around. That's a big deal and it makes a big difference.

"When you have someone say, 'I'm proud of you' every a day, going to school and getting a job doesn't seem so hard. It becomes something you want to do. You want to keep going. You want to excel. You want to become someone ... [Long pause] ... That's the way it's been ... and now I'm going to cry even more."

Sara's comments are worth reading again. We could all learn a lot from this young woman.

By the way, Sars's new goal is to become an elementary school teacher. I think she'll make a great one.