This I Believe...
I believe it is impossible to be prepared for everything. Although I am young, I have experienced things some people never experience. These experiences have hurt me. They have built me. They have shaped me. They have developed me into the person I am today.
I will not lie; my life has been far from difficult. Growing up, I had my fair share of opportunities to play sport and hang out with friends and be a kid. When I was 12 years old, my dad found out he had cancer. He taught me how to ride a bike, throw a ball, read, write, and so much more. All of a sudden, he was sick, and I could not do anything for him. At the time, I had an idea of what cancer was, but I was unsure about a lot of it. All I could remember thinking about was how my dad was going to die. I was 12. He couldn’t die. I still needed him to help me through high school and college. Lying in my bed crying, my dad was able to convince me everything would be okay.
Years went by. My family and I dealt with the horrid effects of cancer. For the first time in my life, I saw my dad cry. What was I to do? I had nothing to offer him. I just sat and watched as he cried to my grandmother: alone and pathetic. Due to nerve damage from one of his surgeries, his right leg did not function properly. He would lose control of it from time to time. It got to a point where it was unsafe for him to drive. At that point, he had my brother or me drive him to work in the morning and pick him up in the evening. I had to sacrifice time with my friends to help him. I never complained, but I was silently upset. As the cancer progressed, he continued to lose function of his body. Eventually, he was in a wheel chair. It took our entire family to get him in a car or down a set of stairs. When I had to do it myself I was scared out of my mind. What would I do if he fell and I was unable to stop him? Showing this fear was not an option. I had to let him know that he was safe with me. Time went by. The cancer got worse. He was bedridden. All he could do was watch TV, use his laptop, talk to people, and eat, and even those tasks required assistance. I did what I could for him, but I had to get away from everything from time to time. Sometimes I would go out with my friends even though he wanted someone to stay at home with him.
My dad passed away one month before my 18th birthday. He never got to know which college I was going to. He saw my older brother go off to college, but he will never get to see him graduate. He never got to see my younger brother as a high school student. His battle with cancer lasted five and a half years. He suffered and endured more pain than I can imagine. When his time was running out, he told my brothers and me that we were the reason he was able to fight as long as he did. His life challenged him in ways he could never have imagined.
I was young and unprepared to face most of what I had to do and what I saw. I could not imagine anyone thinking I should have been prepared for it. Taking things as they came, I handled each situation with what seemed appropriate.
Although my dad was gone, my hardships were not over. Three months later, my mom starting seeing someone new. She would spend most of her time at work or with him. Periods of a few days would go by without seeing her. My older brother was in college. I was the head of the household. It became my job to make sure that my brother and I were getting up for school and getting to practice and eating dinner. With the money I made from my part-time job and the money I had in my savings account, I made sure my brother and I could do most of what we wanted. I worked, went to school, played sports, and drove my brother to his friends all before I could hang out with my friends. This was not how I wanted to spend my senior year, but my dad never complained. Therefore, I did not have the right to complain.
My mom was absent from our family for a span of four months. In that time, I had supported and kept our family running. In my time of greatest need, I had to take on the most responsibility and make the most sacrifices. To say I was unprepared to budget for two with school still going and staying involved in sports would be an understatement.
My life has thrown a huge array of obstacles at me. Some I faced with my family at my side. Others I faced alone. Many people do not have to deal with situations like these until much later in their lives. I faced them before I was an adult. I had no idea what to do or what was expected from me. I handled things one at a time and with a level head; getting advice from friends and family as I went.
I believe that you can never be prepared for everything. When obstacles come your way, it is best to get advice from someone more knowledgeable than yourself or convince yourself and others you know what you are doing. If you stay focused and determined, nothing can stop you.
I will not lie; my life has been far from difficult. Growing up, I had my fair share of opportunities to play sport and hang out with friends and be a kid. When I was 12 years old, my dad found out he had cancer. He taught me how to ride a bike, throw a ball, read, write, and so much more. All of a sudden, he was sick, and I could not do anything for him. At the time, I had an idea of what cancer was, but I was unsure about a lot of it. All I could remember thinking about was how my dad was going to die. I was 12. He couldn’t die. I still needed him to help me through high school and college. Lying in my bed crying, my dad was able to convince me everything would be okay.
Years went by. My family and I dealt with the horrid effects of cancer. For the first time in my life, I saw my dad cry. What was I to do? I had nothing to offer him. I just sat and watched as he cried to my grandmother: alone and pathetic. Due to nerve damage from one of his surgeries, his right leg did not function properly. He would lose control of it from time to time. It got to a point where it was unsafe for him to drive. At that point, he had my brother or me drive him to work in the morning and pick him up in the evening. I had to sacrifice time with my friends to help him. I never complained, but I was silently upset. As the cancer progressed, he continued to lose function of his body. Eventually, he was in a wheel chair. It took our entire family to get him in a car or down a set of stairs. When I had to do it myself I was scared out of my mind. What would I do if he fell and I was unable to stop him? Showing this fear was not an option. I had to let him know that he was safe with me. Time went by. The cancer got worse. He was bedridden. All he could do was watch TV, use his laptop, talk to people, and eat, and even those tasks required assistance. I did what I could for him, but I had to get away from everything from time to time. Sometimes I would go out with my friends even though he wanted someone to stay at home with him.
My dad passed away one month before my 18th birthday. He never got to know which college I was going to. He saw my older brother go off to college, but he will never get to see him graduate. He never got to see my younger brother as a high school student. His battle with cancer lasted five and a half years. He suffered and endured more pain than I can imagine. When his time was running out, he told my brothers and me that we were the reason he was able to fight as long as he did. His life challenged him in ways he could never have imagined.
I was young and unprepared to face most of what I had to do and what I saw. I could not imagine anyone thinking I should have been prepared for it. Taking things as they came, I handled each situation with what seemed appropriate.
Although my dad was gone, my hardships were not over. Three months later, my mom starting seeing someone new. She would spend most of her time at work or with him. Periods of a few days would go by without seeing her. My older brother was in college. I was the head of the household. It became my job to make sure that my brother and I were getting up for school and getting to practice and eating dinner. With the money I made from my part-time job and the money I had in my savings account, I made sure my brother and I could do most of what we wanted. I worked, went to school, played sports, and drove my brother to his friends all before I could hang out with my friends. This was not how I wanted to spend my senior year, but my dad never complained. Therefore, I did not have the right to complain.
My mom was absent from our family for a span of four months. In that time, I had supported and kept our family running. In my time of greatest need, I had to take on the most responsibility and make the most sacrifices. To say I was unprepared to budget for two with school still going and staying involved in sports would be an understatement.
My life has thrown a huge array of obstacles at me. Some I faced with my family at my side. Others I faced alone. Many people do not have to deal with situations like these until much later in their lives. I faced them before I was an adult. I had no idea what to do or what was expected from me. I handled things one at a time and with a level head; getting advice from friends and family as I went.
I believe that you can never be prepared for everything. When obstacles come your way, it is best to get advice from someone more knowledgeable than yourself or convince yourself and others you know what you are doing. If you stay focused and determined, nothing can stop you.