#1 Senior Journal--Personal Essay "Warmup" (post before Sept. 7)
Young writers who feel as if they have nothing to say to the world actually do.
You do, too.
In your short 17 or so years on Planet Earth you have already experienced people and events that have molded your image, touched you to the core, or have changed your life.
If you try to deny this, then answer this question--are you anything remotely like the helpless, crawling, bawling, slobbering infant that lay in the crib? Someone encouraged you to walk, talk, and close your mouth when you ate your food. Someone, and some key events in your life, that undoubtedly involved other people, helped you to become the miracle merging of body and soul that is you.
Bet you never thought about it that way.
So here's the journal assignment: briefly (minimum of 200 words) tell us here at Schoolsville about a person or event that deeply affected your life. I think we all can learn something from your story.
I'd like it if you used your response (if you wish) as a warmup for your personal essay, your first writing assignment reflecting on the same prompt (3-4 pages typed) that's due September 13. If I may begin with a simple metaphor, consider this journal posting a flexing and stretching of your writing muscles for that final paper.
In sharing your experience, you'll be participating in bettering the human race. That's right. You'll be educating the entire world community here at Schoolsville, a world that could stand to learn that no two people, let alone races, religions, or nations, are exactly alike. The world can learn from your story, or at least begin to develop some much needed emotions of empathy or sympathy. Wouldn't you be interested in reading about how some Afghan teen, his country ravaged by foreign and civil wars, responds to the same writing prompt that you've just been given? Would his paper help you to understand his hopelessness, his fear, his distrust of foreigners?
OK, I'm only pretending that the existence of Schoolsville, or the completion of your personal essay paper, is vital to the future of the human race. But the point of my exaggeration is this: reading what others have to say is important, whether they live on the other side of the globe or in the neighboring cul-de-sac. Understanding them might help us to decide if we want to invade their country or invite them to our Labor Day barbecue.
Communication with others is the first "baby step" in learning how to get along. If we can't "walk in someone's shoes," then at least we should be willing to slip on someone's sandals and wiggle our toes for a spell. We just might learn that everyone in the world is not wearing the same 9 1/2 B's.
Respond here before Friday, Sept. 7. I will post your responses for everyone to read early Friday morning. The essay is due Sept. 13.
To get some ideas, you may review the comments given by last year's seniors by visiting the archived post for September 9, 2011.
posted by JTF @ 9:20 PM
88 comments
88 Comments:
An experience that I had as a child that impacted me my life significantly would have to be a time when I was younger and almost drowned. I was around eight or nine at the time, and I was going to the beach with my family. I'll be honest, I don't remember much about the beach itself, but i do remember really wanting to go into the ocean. My parents were both laying on the beach, and so i went in by myself. Being the young risk taker that all nine year olds tend to be, I just went into the waves. and it was amazing! you could get picked up by the waves and would get splashed back down again. I was having a really good time and started to go out a little farther. Still, I was perfectly ok. A little bit later, I realized that I was far out (far out for a weak swimming nine year old that is). My memory is a bit foggy about the specifics, but I remember seeing a enormous wave coming in. not knowing how to deal with it, I turned around and tried to get back to shore, some reason thinking that the wave would just go away. Well, i got swallowed by it, and ended up underwater and extremely disoriented. I did end up getting above water just in time for another wave to push me back down again. This happened (from what i remember) for about five or six times. Ultimately, I ended up passing out underwater, and the lifeguard at the beach had to come and rescue me. I was fine and unhurt, but scared out of my mind. Now a days, I still do love the beach (although I get sunburned like crazy). However, whenever I see the ocean, I'm leery to go into it. I've been in since and been fine, but it causes my heart to race and pound and it's not an enjoyable experience. I tend to just sit on the beach and enjoy the sun, which in my opinion, is just as good.
Trying to pick one person who really made a wildly significant impact on my life is quite the daunting task. This is so due to the fact that there are so many people that have greatly influenced who I am today. I am not clay and have not be molded per say by these people but they have opened my mind to things and ways of thinking that have helped me become the well-rounded individual that I am today. I’d like to tell you about the person who I believe had the most constant role as a role model in my life, my sister Morgan Dudkewitz. When we were children and early teenagers we would get into spats and verbal arguments on regular occasion but that is not to say that we didn’t love each other as brother and sister or like each other as people. We fought just as all siblings do. Morgan was a person who did what she wanted to do. She never followed any kind of trends or was subsequent to anyone else’s thoughts of what was cool. That is the coolest trait a person could have, to speak plainly. Not only did Morgan reinforce the importance of being yourself but she also has a great and vast taste in music that I also have due to her. Music is a huge part f both of our lives and really is a way of life for us. We see music in the same light, a way to express inner feelings and just plain awesome to put it in lay man’s terms. Morgan is someone I do and always will look up to.
One event that deeply affected my life was when my Grandmom developed Alzheimer’s disease and had to live with my family and me this past year. I don’t think anyone realizes how hard it was or what I had to go through. I never thought my Grandmom would get this disease but I guess it’s all a part of getting old. Nothing was ever easy caring for her 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The countless hours of her trying to leave the house and walk to the Poconos made it impossible to do much of anything but watch out for her safety all day, every day. Watching her memory become worse and worse is what affected me most. She couldn’t remember much of anything and it was hard to even hold a conversation with her. The irritation of not being able to leave the house worsened and she started to become aggressive towards my family members and me. Day after day, I watched my mom cry and become extremely emotional. It was hard for me to find time for schoolwork, activities, and friends. I wanted to help my parents in anyway possible whether it was watching her or playing games with her to keep her occupied for a few hours. I always thought it was so unfair and often prayed to God asking him why this was happening and why this was placed on my family causing such sadness for all of us. As time went on, having my Grandmom live with us became too difficult and we were forced to put her in a nursing home. At first, it affected me greatly causing me to cry all the time. I didn’t want her to be put in a home but I knew it was the best thing for her and my family. I visit her a lot and it always brightens my day to see such a big smile on her face when she sees us. She still remembers my name and I love listening to her stories. Caring for her wasn’t easy but I looked at it was my way of paying her back for all the times she cared for me. Despite her illness, she never fails to make me laugh and she will always be my best friend no matter what.
There have been many people in my life who have made large impacts, although one person has impacted me more than others. He is, without doubt, one of my closest friends. I’ve known him for almost five years now. He has been by my side through it all these past five years. There is no specific event over these years I wish to recall, rather the impact he has made on me throughout it all. About three years ago he converted from Judaism to Buddhism. Now he didn’t shave his head and start to only wear orange robes everywhere, but he did believe deeply in the teachings. He felt so strongly about these beliefs that I wasn’t even allowed to kill a bug around him. He constantly pushed me to be a better man, to never give up, and to temper my anger. He had a quote he used to say a lot, “Only a warrior chooses pacifism, others are condemned to it.” That really meant a lot to me because I used to think knowing Muay Thai meant that I should fight whenever I had the chance as if I had to prove something. He talked about finding inner peace and other things that I didn’t really understand at the time. Around the same time he converted, he and I began to get involved in something called Tricking. Tricking is, to put it in the simplest terms possible, Martial Arts, break dancing, and gymnastics combined. Because of our Martial Arts background we took to it quickly, he much more than I. That didn’t faze me at all however, because I never stopped trying. That drive to be good, better, best, I can credit to my friend. Whenever I was stuck on something he was always there; motivating me, showing me better ways to do it, and picking me up whenever I fell down. And I fell a lot, but I never stopped throwing flash gainers or moon kicks or b-twists. Today I can land all of those moves and a plethora of others. I’ve learned to walk away, to pick my battles, and to resolve things peacefully, and I owe it all to my Buddhist friend.
Inspiration does not come everyday, yet when it comes, it changes you forever. As a 17 year old teenager, I have experienced very little. Therefore, my inspiration is miniscule compared to that of a full grown man, but there is one person who inspires me day in and day out. This person is my older brother, Mike.
As a person, Mike is no different from the rest of us. He works hard, likes to hang out with friends, and strives for success. However, Mike is different. Ever since day one, my brother has not been able to hear a thing. He is deaf and there’s almost nothing that can change that. Sure there is technology today that can create artificial hearing, but it will never have the capability that natural hearing offers. So my brother is forever handicap.
In life, Mike has two options. He can give up and say that he will never amount to anything because of his handicap, or he can break the stereotype people have towards deaf people and become successful. I would not be writing this blog if my brother picked the first of these two options. Through out his life, Mike has worked his tail off. Opportunities that hearing people see as commonplace are not so common to deaf people. For example, the curriculum at a deaf school is much slower than that of a traditional public school. So at an early age, my parents transferred Mike from DSD, Delaware School for the Deaf, and sent him to a traditional public school. If you think this was an easy transition, you could not be more wrong. First of all, my brother had to deal with a fast pace curriculum that he was not used to. Second, he had no idea what the teacher was saying because he could only read lips. So there had to be an interpreter in all of his classes. This interpreter would translate what the teacher was saying, but the interpreter would miss classroom discussions that are sometimes as important as the lecture. Third, my brother had a hard time communicating with friends. It was like he was speaking Spanish to people that only understood Chinese. These three reasons only make up part of the hardship my brother has gone through.
My brother has dealt with a lot in his life, but he is happy. He does not let his handicap hold him back. Mike made it through public schooling and St. Mark’s High School. He knows that his life will not be easy and embraces it. He uses the stereotypes of society as fuel to his fire. I may be “normal” to society, but I will never accomplish the great things my brother has done. He inspires me to work as hard as he does. Mike, my deaf brother, is destined to a life of success. I love and respect him dearly.
Growing up and being raised the way I am, I would say that my parents made me to be very sheltered. They provided me a life that was easier than others although, I always took it for granted. My sheltered life caused me to become angry at the little things thinking that seemed to make my life worse than it truly is. I realized how wrong and unappreciative I was of what I had when I went to the Philippines around the age of thirteen. In my mind, I thought the Philippines was a beautiful place full of beaches and beautiful landmarks. I knew that the Philippines was a third world country but at that time, the thought subsided. When I arrived and started to see what truly was happening in the Philippines, I was in shocked. Imagine after five minutes of being exposed to the Philippines, you see children going through garbage, houses without roofs, trash in every corner, ragged clothing on families, and children at a very young age begging for a meal knocking on your car window. As hard as their life is or seems to be, they are the most appreciative and devoted people I have ever encountered. The thought of them still being alive and having even one meal is good enough for them. If they are being educated, they work hard and if they can’t afford it, they make their own money until they can financially afford an education to have a better future. They’re optimistic attitude gave me a realization of how easy I have it and how blessed I truly am.
Everywhere we go, everyone we meet, has an impact on us. Whether it’s as simple as walking past someone on the street and seeing them throw their trash away and you decide to do the same or as something much bigger such as a mentor. I think we can all agree that someone touches us everyday of our lives. Picking just one person to write about how they influenced me is a tricky question. The first person that pops into my head is Bob Trinsey. To you, this name is empty, but for me, it’s a legacy. When I was 12 years old I began playing travel volleyball at a club known as Delaware Juniors. Shortly after the season began, a dad on the team told my mom that she should take me to Brandywine. Brandywine was the rival club but the most elite in the area. So when I was 14, I tried out. I made the team and couldn’t way to start working with the most infamous coach around, Trinsey. Emotions raced through me at our first practice; fear, excitement, nervousness; joy. Trinsey pushed us harder then anyone has every pushed me before. He knew what it took to be the best and he wasn’t going to stop until we were there. But it was never just about volleyball. Bob later taught me that the key to becoming a great athlete was to be a great person inside and out. His favorite saying was “hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.” By saying this, he hoped to make up realize that it doesn’t matter who you are or what you’re up against if you give it everything you have then you’ll come out satisfied. He taught me lessons that I could never repay him enough for. After coaching me and guiding me for the past 4 years, he has greatly impacted my life. A huge part of my athletic and personal achieves are due to his help and knowledge. He has become like a father to me.
My grandma and I have a closer relationship than most of the other seventeen year olds I know. For the majority of my life, my Grandma and Grandpa lived only five minutes away and I would see them multiple times a week. They would take me to swimming lessons and ballet lessons when I was little and would watch me when my parents were busy. However, when I was only seven everything changed. My grandpa died of leukemia. His death impacted my family significantly. I was so used to being with them all the time and my daily life was changed forever. My grandpa’s death did not affect anyone as much as it affected my grandma. She was diagnosed with diabetes before I was even born. Her diabetes has affected her eyesight for as long as I can remember. Because she has such a difficult time seeing, my grandpa had done all the driving and work around the house. His death made it hard for my grandma to do things on her own and my mom and I were always driving over to help her out with things. I did not mind this; I loved seeing my grandma. I look up to her for everything. She is the strongest woman I know.
About two years ago, my grandma went completely blind. It became impossible for her to live on her own and regrettably she made the decision to move into a retirement home. This was hard for both her and my family. The one thing I will always remember her saying during the move is “I moved into that house as a bride and I left it as a widow.” Instead of living five minutes down the road, she now lives a half hour away and it’s hard for my mom or I to drive up and help her out with things. I can’t even imagine how hard it is for her to live on her own and not be able to see. I’ve never heard her complain once about it and I admire her independence. On top of all this, she had a rough childhood. My grandma was adopted and did not get along with her adoptive parents very well. She never knew her biological parents. I can't even imagine what it was like for her living through the depression. She has overcome more obstacles than any one I have ever known and has inspired me to be strong. I love her with all my heart.
I don't have the best memory, but there is one event that will forever be kept in my mind and will always remain a life lesson to me. When I was in 8th grade, my aunt Kristin had a beautiful baby named Evangelina. Evie wasn't like other babies: she was born with only her brain stem, and other fragments of her brain. This made it hard for her to do basically anything on her own. The doctors told us it was a miracle she even survived birth. Everyday was a challenge for Evie, and I was a witness. Just the simple functions of life that we take for granted were so difficult to her. We were neighbors and I would come over everyday just to sit by her side. There were days when she would get very sick and we would have to take her back to the hospital, but then there were days when she seemed to be perfectly fine. I had never seen such a tiny person have so many difficulties. It was hard for me to watch my baby cousin like that, but her strength amazed me. She was a fighter. She lived for about two months after she was born. That was a miracle in itself. Yes, her death was a tragedy and I will never forget the pain I felt watching her struggle, but at the same time I learn from her everyday. Right when I think that life is getting hard, I remind myself that it could be worse. Not a day goes by that I don't think about her, and I know that she would be glad to know that she taught me the greatest lesson that life has to offer.
The person who has molded my life the most would have to b my grandfather, Edward Ermak. My grandfather has always been a hard-working, genuine, kind soul who believed he could do anything he could imagine with his own two hands. Growing up in the hidden, backwoods town of Larkesville, Pennsylvania, he worked in his father’s bar, as a child, by cleaning out the dirty spittoons of the constant coal miners that were fed daily at the bar. When he was old enough, he joined the Navy. The stories that man could tell about the Navy are amazing. On one of the ships, he actually started a boxing career and had to end it because he sliced his hand open on a jar of peanuts. When he returned, there in Larkesille, he met his wife and my grandmother, now Helen Ermak, and moved down to Newark, Delaware. Back then, Newark was very small and was not everything it is today. Because of the small stature of Newark at the time, my grandfather and a few other residents got together and built a community pool with their own hands. Almost every member of my family including myself has held some position at that pool at one time or another. In Newark, my grandparents started a family of five and raised their children the best way they knew how. My grandfather was the only one in the house that had a job to support all seven of them. He started small and worked his way up to become head of the sales department at the old Chrysler plant. My grandfather never let anything go to waste. He would often tell his children to use the ends of the bread loaves as napkins. He raised his children to be tough and to never let anything get in the way of what you want to achieve. All of his children then grew up to have high positions in each of their companies and are very successful. My grandfather is now 86 and retired; he likes to think he is 30 though. Amazingly, he still has his driver’s license, has an IPod, knows how to work the internet, hangs up all of his own Christmas lights on the roof, does every family members taxes with extreme accuracy, and could tell you anything you’d like to know about the stock market. He recently went under an operation to get a pace maker, and is more alive than ever. He knows every family members birthday and attends every single one of our events with enthusiasm and interest. At times, I honestly feel he knows everything about everything you’d ever want to know. I personally like to call him the real Dos Equis man because he really is the most interesting man in the world. He has taught us all to fight through any opposition, be tough, be proud of whom you are and what you represent, and to always be craving knowledge. He taught us to always show respect to everyone, how to entertain others, how to enjoy every minute of life, and how to be a man.
The person who has molded my life the most would have to b my grandfather, Edward Ermak. My grandfather has always been a hard-working, genuine, kind soul who believed he could do anything he could imagine with his own two hands. Growing up in the hidden, backwoods town of Larkesville, Pennsylvania, he worked in his father’s bar, as a child, by cleaning out the dirty spittoons of the constant coal miners that were fed daily at the bar. When he was old enough, he joined the Navy. The stories that man could tell about the Navy are amazing. On one of the ships, he actually started a boxing career and had to end it because he sliced his hand open on a jar of peanuts. When he returned, there in Larkesille, he met his wife and my grandmother, now Helen Ermak, and moved down to Newark, Delaware. Back then, Newark was very small and was not everything it is today. Because of the small stature of Newark at the time, my grandfather and a few other residents got together and built a community pool with their own hands. Almost every member of my family including myself has held some position at that pool at one time or another. In Newark, my grandparents started a family of five and raised their children the best way they knew how. My grandfather was the only one in the house that had a job to support all seven of them. He started small and worked his way up to become head of the sales department at the old Chrysler plant. My grandfather never let anything go to waste. He would often tell his children to use the ends of the bread loaves as napkins. He raised his children to be tough and to never let anything get in the way of what you want to achieve. All of his children then grew up to have high positions in each of their companies and are very successful. My grandfather is now 86 and retired; he likes to think he is 30 though. Amazingly, he still has his driver’s license, has an IPod, knows how to work the internet, hangs up all of his own Christmas lights on the roof, does every family members taxes with extreme accuracy, and could tell you anything you’d like to know about the stock market. He recently went under an operation to get a pace maker, and is more alive than ever. He knows every family members birthday and attends every single one of our events with enthusiasm and interest. At times, I honestly feel he knows everything about everything you’d ever want to know. I personally like to call him the real Dos Equis man because he really is the most interesting man in the world. He has taught us all to fight through any opposition, be tough, be proud of whom you are and what you represent, and to always be craving knowledge. He taught us to always show respect to everyone, how to entertain others, how to enjoy every minute of life, and how to be a man.
CJV Purple
An important life event that has just recently impacted my life was getting my first job. In all honesty, I believed working down the beach at Grotto’s Pizza Restaurant was going to be the easiest and most entertaining job I could possibly have. Naively thinking, I thought I would be able to go to the beach whenever I wanted and would eat all the free pizza I desired at my own convenience. That was wishful thinking compared to what the reality of the job entailed. The long hours, meeting new kinds of people, and the amount of money I made opened my eyes to a world I never knew. There were many days I worked from ten in the morning to 10 at night with only a half hour break. Luckily, I was paid a little more over than minimum wage but it wasn’t much but I did make tips when I worked at the counter. Although, the amount of tips I made was low considered to the amount of tip money my friends were making at other jobs. Lastly, the type of people I had encountered at my job, whether it was over the counter or another employee, opened my mind completely. I was restrained from ever making the customer upset even if they were in the wrong and the type of people I worked with were a “rough” group of people. In the end the job was not what I had expected but it took a turn for the better because it gave me an insight into the real world and opened my eyes to what everyday life is for other people.
CJV Purple
An important life event that has just recently impacted my life was getting my first job. In all honesty, I believed working down the beach at Grotto’s Pizza Restaurant was going to be the easiest and most entertaining job I could possibly have. Naively thinking, I thought I would be able to go to the beach whenever I wanted and would eat all the free pizza I desired at my own convenience. That was wishful thinking compared to what the reality of the job entailed. The long hours, meeting new kinds of people, and the amount of money I made opened my eyes to a world I never knew. There were many days I worked from ten in the morning to 10 at night with only a half hour break. Luckily, I was paid a little more over than minimum wage but it wasn’t much but I did make tips when I worked at the counter. Although, the amount of tips I made was low considered to the amount of tip money my friends were making at other jobs. Lastly, the type of people I had encountered at my job, whether it was over the counter or another employee, opened my mind completely. I was restrained from ever making the customer upset even if they were in the wrong and the type of people I worked with were a “rough” group of people. In the end the job was not what I had expected but it took a turn for the better because it gave me an insight into the real world and opened my eyes to what everyday life is for other people.
One event that has changed my life is the recent and unexpected death of my grandmother. Until three years ago, I had been fortunate enough to have all four of my grandparents live in Delaware. The one person that I was extremely close to was my grandmother. Every Sunday after Church, my dad and I would go over to her house and help her with chores. Also, on the way to my friend’s house, I would occasionally stop by to visit her. I never thought that one day this would be over. Her death didn’t feel real to me until I went to her house and she was not there. I was given a bracelet and a vase to remember her. It is hard to believe that she is not here anymore. However, I have to think of all the happy times we had and the great memories we shared together. I know that my life will change without her in it anymore, but I have to be thankful for the times we shared. Her death has made a huge impact on my life. I know that even though I cannot see her anymore, I know that she will always be with me in everything that I do. This has definitely been one of the hardest times in my life. I now realize that I have to cherish every day of my life and treat others like it could be their last day, too.
Just a few months ago it would have been hard for me to think of a something to write about right now. This summer some things happened in my life involving my whole family that no one could have ever imagined would happen. It is not only an even but a person that goes hand in hand with the event that has deeply affected my life. This whole summer I have lived on my own away from all the drama of my family and away from all the familiar faces that I have been with for the past seventeen years of my life. I have worked a full time job all summer. Working more than forty hours a week sometimes and I have been almost cut off from everyone except for my work family. Then one day my mom decides to come see me in Rehoboth beach (where I moved to). It seems a little weird at first then it all comes together when she explains everything to me. She tells me that my grandmother was in the hospital and hooked up to a breathing machine. The bottom line was that they were planning on taking her off the machine in seventy two hours if she didn’t show any signs of life and they would just see what would happen. So basically what everyone, including the doctors, were saying was that my grandmother was going to die and that I should come see her on her deathbed. This shook me up because no one saw it coming. You see my grandmother has suffered from depression all her life and she is in and out of rehabilitation for her illness all the time. I had gotten used to it by now and had the mindset that I should just accept how she was and it was okay that I avoided interacting with her. And despite this no one expected her to land in the hospital in a medical induced coma not breathing on her own. So with my grandmother unexpectedly being hospitalized basically dying, my mom wanted me to go into see her before it was too late. So we make the trip home and finally get to the hospital at one am to see my grandmother in the intensive care unit. The way she looked laying in that hospital bed stunned me. I didn’t know how to react really. I just stood there motionless looking at her seemingly lifeless body. I don’t know how long I was there but I just remember not ever wanting to go back there. Long story short, I went back to the beach the next day and tried to continue working knowing that the worst was probably coming soon. But then as if nothing crazier could happen, my grandmother just woke up one day. No one knows how but it just happened. I am not saying that I didn’t want it to I just think that I was trying so hard to accept it I didn’t think of how to react if she just woke up. I haven’t seen her since and I feel bad about this but I have grown from this experience. At least I think I have. It had deeply affected my life in so many ways. It was an experience that I will never forget. And it just goes to show me that you can never know what is going to happen in life. One day half the people you know could be convinced that you’re going to die then the next you’re up and back into the swing of life. I really try to live my life better and cherish every single moment of it. My grandmother being in the hospital and this whole experience has changed me into this new way of thinking and new perspective on life.
TylerD Purple
As I am growing up I am beginning to realize even though we are all human, we are all different in numerous ways. These differences in the behavior and actions of individuals come from past experiences and influences. I would be lying to say that the people I've met during my life haven't changed me into the person I am today. To pick one person or event that impacted my life is tough, but I would have to pick my eighth grade teacher, Mr. Adams. It seems fitting that a teacher would be the person I pick to write about for this topic. That August I was returning to Holy Angels for my eighth grade year, but Mr. Adams was just arriving as a new eighth grade teacher, previously only working at another school for one year. He was in his early twenties, and was fresh out of college a couple years previous. I had him for two classes, religion and science in which I did well in both, but that is not why I decided to write about him. Throughout the school year we bonded and he mentored me to become not only a good student but a good person as well. Him being young I also felt like I could talk to him about things I couldn't talk to other, older teachers about, and I related with him on many topics. But not until I graduated, did I learn what he really was going through and what it really meant to be mature. A couple days after graduation I was talking to him, and until then I didn't realize how much he didn't like his job. He really wanted to work hard and to become a future principal. Although he strongly disliked his job, this feeling did not affect his performance at teaching or his attitude toward his students and faculty. This really opened my eyes and showed me how much of a good person Mr. Adams was. Mr Adams showed me a lot that year, but most of all he inspired me to be a mature, hard-working adolescent.
Can you imagine going into your first year of high school and being diagnosed with polio? My Great Grandmother Jean Talley was stricken with polio at such a young age, and at such a difficult time in life. No one at school wanted to talk to her or associate with her, except for my Great Grandfather, Harold. Although Jean spent a lot of time in the Iron Lung, the chance of recovery in that time period was still slim. But she kept a positive attitude which I think has inspired me the most. She passed away two years ago, but she never spoke about the event in a negative way. All of the pictures of her in the rehabilitation center showed her in order of progress over several months. The first picture shows her lying in a bed basically paralyzed. The second shows her finally standing up. In the third picture she’s walking across the room with a walker, and the last picture shows her walking on her own again which nobody ever thought was possible. The progress she made was incredible, but the thing I noticed most was the huge smile on her face in all four pictures. All of my memories of her are positive memories because she was always smiling and excited to see you. As she grew older, her polio got worse again and she started to use a cane, then a walker. However, she still came to soccer games, dance recitals, and birthday parties just like her normal self. Up to our last times together she was exciting and in the know. It made me realize that you always have to have a positive outlook on life and you will actually do better and be more successful. In the end, that whole experience changed my life.
A person that has deeply affected my life is my mom. Besides being the reason that I am alive today, my mom has taught me many important life lessons. She is a very strong, loving individual whose wisdom and life lessons have helped to shape my own understanding of the world. Since we were both quite shy growing up, she has always encouraged me to speak my mind and have a voice rather than keeping all of my thoughts left unsaid. Because of her, I understand what it means to be an individual and find it easy and simple to be comfortable in my own skin. My mom's values and morals have guided me to being a positive person and having the "glass half full" view of the world. Of course life is not always fair, but she has helped me see that obstacles in life only happen to make us stronger and lead us in the right direction. My mom has had many obstacles in her life, especially my grandfather's passing and the sacrifices and pain she underwent during his fight with cancer and Alzheimer's. She is a truly inspiring person who has shown me that after pain, comes strength.
In 2009 the only new thing I expected to change was the big anticipated start of high school. I started high school in August of 2009 with so much excitement. I went to an all girls’ Catholic high school in Michigan with no one I knew from a previous school. I played volleyball and was making a ton of new friends. The year started off really well and I couldn’t wait for the rest of year. Homecoming came and went and it was the coolest thing for me at that time. One weekend my sister came home from college to go to one of my volleyball tournament. I was so excited to have her home because I hadn’t seen her since she had left for her first year of college in August. We drove an hour to the tournament thinking that it was just be like any normal tournament we had been to before. I was really excited to be done because after the games we were going to drive my sister back up to school and I was going to spend the weekend with her in her dorm. During my last game I looked into the stands and to my surprise saw my sister sitting with my mom, crying. My sister and I are really close so whenever I see her crying I obviously begin to worry and have to know what it is going on. I asked to come out of the game and my coach let me, but she wasn’t too pleased. I tried to ask my sister what was wrong from the bench but she told me it was nothing…she was fine. Luckily that was my last game and I got to ask her what was wrong. We walked all the way out to the car in complete silence, neither one of my parents even slightly mentioning what was going on. When we got in the car I began asking a million questions a minute, getting more and more nervous as the minutes passed as to why everyone was so upset. My dad finally said that he had some bad news. Of course being as stubborn as he is had to tell the good news first against my wishes. The good news is he still had a job, and from that one sentence I knew exactly what he was going to say. The next sentence turned my world upside down, “We’re moving to Delaware.” I didn’t even know where Delaware was. I also didn’t know what that meant, there was so many things left unanswered and yet I couldn’t stop crying long enough to ask them. The only thing I knew for sure is that from that moment on my life was not going to be the same. We moved the summer of 2010, and I was right my life did change a lot. At first I thought it was the worst thing that could ever happen to a person, but now that it has been two years I’ve come to realize that this is best thing that could have happened to me. I’ve made such great friends, and have been presented with so many opportunities that I would have never been given in Michigan.
One experience that has made a huge impact on my life would have to be working down the beach this past summer. I had the best and most perfect summer all planned out in my head! I would get super tan, make lots of new friends, and loads of money! Sounds like the perfect summer right? Well, about two weeks into summer I started to realize that working down the beach was not all it was cracked up to be. I saw that my whole entire summer would have to be dedicated to work alone. I would get up every day around 6:30 or 7 AM and I would work from 8:00 to 3:00 then 5:00 to 10:00. My social life went out the window and I was as pale as a ghost. Over time though I came to accept that this is how my summer would have to be. But, being the optimist that I am, I came up with a list of positive things about my predicament. One positive thing is that I have tons of money. Though I put most of it into the bank to save for college, I was finally able to spend my own money on the things that I wanted. I also noticed how much I matured. I learned many life lessons from all the different people I met and I am so excited about what the future holds for me. Even though this past summer was the complete opposite of what I thought it would be; I can look back now and say that I would not have wanted it any other way.
Success is one of the most important goals a person can strive for. For all my 17 years I have learned that success doesn’t come easy. It takes hard work, dedication, and inspiration to become successful at anything you do. My hard work and dedication has always been a strong characteristic of mine as I have grown older, but I have gotten so much inspiration from my brother Sam, which has helped me become who I am today. Sam is like any other normal kid. He likes to go to school, watch movies, play games, and have fun with his family. But certain traits make Sam different from other kids. He was diagnosed with PDD, Pervasive Developmental Disorder, in preschool. Sam’s teacher explained to my parents that he was shy around other children. So my parents decided to take Sam to a group of special education teachers to be evaluated. The doctors told my parents that he had enough characteristics to be included in the autism spectrum. My parents made the decision to enroll him in DAP, the Delaware Autism Program. As Sam grew older, it became a struggle for him in many ways. Before he came to St. Marks, he went to six different grade schools. This was hard on my brother; he had to make new friends almost every year. Also, several of the teachers didn’t treat him with respect because they thought he was different and couldn’t keep up with the work. Even though there was much negativity toward Sam at school, he was able to overcome it and make it to high school. Sam made it into St. Mark’s becoming the first person ever to be accepted that went through the autism spectrum in grade school. Now Sam is a junior at St. Mark’s. He loves life and doesn’t care about what other people think about him. He works hard and does the best he can as a student, athlete, and a brother. Sam inspires me everyday to be the best person I can be. I love him with all my heart and I’m truly honored to call him my brother.
One thing that has shaped me into the person that I am today is my travel softball team. Some girls I have known since I was 8 and others I met when I was 13 and 15 but they have been my best friends ever since. We have been through a lot together whether it be injuries that we have had to go through or even deaths that we have all gotten through together. The girls are my second family and I know that they have my back through everything. Whenever I'm feeling down or upset or having some trouble with my family, the girls are the only people that can pick me back up and make me feel like I'm 100% again. When I hurt my shoulder the girls were there for me and encouraging me and came to visit me when I was at my house and really couldn't do anything. They made me feel cared for and loved and they kept telling me that I would be back in no time, and I was! During the year we are together all the time and I never get tired of them! I love being around them and I feel so lucky that I have all of them as best friends and that they're all like family to me. We aren't afraid to tell each other how we feel or when we are worried about them and I know that I could trust these girls with anything and everything. It's so comforting to know that I have such a close group of girls that I know would be there for me no matter what. They have made me stronger as a person and as a friend. They let me know if I'm doing something wrong or I'm making a bad decisions, and they not only tell me that, but they are by my side the whole time helping me through the situation. I consider them all my sisters and I would do anything for them!
An event that deeply affected my life was the death of my grandfather. He passed away about six years ago. My grandfather and I spent everyday together and did almost everything together. We had a very close relationship and I considered him my best friend. My grandparents lived right across the street so I was always with them. I would always be his “nurse” when he was sick. He was sick and was in and out of hospitals and nursing homes for a few years, but he would get better every time. When I would find out that he was in the hospital again I would pretend to be strong for my family, but on the inside it was killing me. The thought of loosing him was devastating to me. I will never forget that morning when I heard the one thing I didn’t want to hear. My grandfather had passed away in his sleep. I didn’t know how to react to the news and I was emotionless at first. I ended up going to school later that morning to get my mind off of it. Not a day goes by when I don’t think of him. Even though it’s been six years I still can’t get over it. His death brought us closer together as a family and it made me a better person. It made my whole family realize how valuable life is and that we should cherish every second we have with one another. Everyday when I have to make a decision I think about what my grandfather would want me to do. I think about how proud he would be of me and how much I have accomplished because of him. No one will ever understand the impact he had on my life and as much as I’d hate to say it his death had even more of an impact on me. I wouldn’t be who I am today if it wasn’t for him.
Throughout my 17 years, I have met a lot people. Some have made me realize what it means to be a good person and to put others before myself. Others have set an example for me of what I hope I never become. From friends to enemies, everyone has taught me an important lesson that I will never forget, “family will always be there for you”. And to this day my family has never let me down, especially my parents. It is usually always cliché for a kid to write down that their heroes are their parents, but for me there is no denying or avoiding the truth. My parents have always been by my side, and have never missed out on something that was important to me. My dad has been my soccer coach since I started playing at the age of four, and has pushed me to be the best I can be. He has helped me train for soccer and has set an example for me of the importance of helping others and to not think about how it would benefit yourself. My mom has showed me what it means to always stick up for whatever I believe in, even if it might be wrong. From seeing how my parents raised me, I can only hope that I grow up to be half as great as they are.
Joining a varsity cheerleading squad halfway through my high school career with no experience is not exactly a choice that most high school athletes make, but it has been one of the most memorable events in my life. I decided to try out for the St. Mark’s Cheer Squad because I wanted to do more in school, and being a dancer for over 13 years made me think that I could pick up on everything easily. I thought making the team would be a breeze, after all, all cheerleaders really did was shake their pom-poms and yell “wooh!” at crowded sporting events. I did make the team; however, it was not what I expected at all. Throwing girls sky high into the air, dealing with bruises, cuts, concussions; I’ve seen more blood, sweat, and tears on this team then I’ve ever seen in any other sporting event. Getting thrown into all of this with no experience was a challenge for me, not to mention how I had little to no free time to do what I wanted or to be with friends. At first, I thought I’d never fit in, but then it hit me. The dedication the team put into stunts, cheers, dances, and everything else is an immense amount, and I wasn’t going to let it all go to waste because I didn’t know what do to. Slowly but surely, I picked up on all the steps, learned crazy stunts, and became friends with all my fellow cheerleaders. In the end, I felt good about how hard we worked and how hard they pushed me. After all the late practices, stressful nights, and constant reprimanding, it paid off. St Mark’s High School won the state championship. What this crazy experience taught me was that sometimes we can’t always do everything you want. We have to put what we have to do before what we want to do. This also taught me no matter how hard you want to give up on something or no matter how many times you fail, get up and try again. This team graciously invited me into their family. We strived for everything, and as a result, won everything. In the end, it wasn’t about winning. It was about the way this team shaped me, and I wouldn’t trade a second of it for the world.
I was reaching the end of the third grade when I found out the most terrifying news of my life. The news was that my dad’s job had been moved to England and that I would move to a foreign country for two years. At first all I did was cry, I could not even begin to imagine leaving everything I had known for my whole life. I am very fortunate and all my relatives live in a very close proximity. This proximity was expanding by thousands of miles. When the packing started, I began to get even more upset, but excited at the same time. Eventually we made the departure over seas, I spent the whole summer preparing for the scariest part, which was school. School started and I absolutely loved it. Being a new girl is actually really fun because everyone wants to talk to you. The time I lived in England impacted my life incredibly. I am so open to different experiences, food, places, and people. While living over there, I was able to visit all different European countries. Europe is such a different place than the United States, that I was able to learn so many historical facts just from being on vacation. During every year of school, there is always a conversation about a place I have been such as Stratford upon Avon, Shakespeare’s birth town. If I had not moved to England, then my life would be completely different. I am truly blessed to be given such an opportunity and I always say how much I would love to travel back over there during college.
“The strength of a family, like the strength of an army, is in its loyalty to each other.” When I think of people who have inspired me throughout my 17 years of life, I immediately think of my family. My family is the number one people in my life. It’s almost impossible to pick one person who has inspired me and guided me the most, everyone in my family has inspired me in some way. My father is one of the most hardworking people that I have ever met. He has worked more than hard for the past 38 years to support his family and give us opportunities that would always better our lives. He inspires me to never give up on anything and to always work hard on whatever I’m doing. My mother has also worked hard by raising all my siblings including myself while our dad was at work. She has inspired me to always put my best foot forward and to always look at the glass half full, not half empty. Together, both of my parents have given me so much guidance. Along with my parents, my three sisters and brother have also inspired me to always make the right choices in life and to be the best person that I could possibly be. Even my 6 nieces and nephews have inspired me to look at every day as a gift from God. Everyone in my family has inspired, guided, and impacted one another. The number one thing that I most value in my family is that we are always there for one another, no matter what the circumstance or situation. My family impacts me more and more every day, they are my number once source for inspiration.
“The strength of a family, like the strength of an army, is in its loyalty to each other.” When I think of people who have inspired me throughout my 17 years of life, I immediately think of my family. My family is the number one people in my life. It’s almost impossible to pick one person who has inspired me and guided me the most, everyone in my family has inspired me in some way. My father is one of the most hardworking people that I have ever met. He has worked more than hard for the past 38 years to support his family and give us opportunities that would always better our lives. He inspires me to never give up on anything and to always work hard on whatever I’m doing. My mother has also worked hard by raising all my siblings including myself while our dad was at work. She has inspired me to always put my best foot forward and to always look at the glass half full, not half empty. Together, both of my parents have given me so much guidance. Along with my parents, my three sisters and brother have also inspired me to always make the right choices in life and to be the best person that I could possibly be. Even my 6 nieces and nephews have inspired me to look at every day as a gift from God. Everyone in my family has inspired, guided, and impacted one another. The number one thing that I most value in my family is that we are always there for one another, no matter what the circumstance or situation. My family impacts me more and more every day, they are my number once source for inspiration.
September 5, 2011 is a day that significantly changed my life. While reflecting on it a year later I often stop myself and think: how did I ever manage to graduate my infamous experience as a Senate Page? From the very first second I walked in through the door, the principle was already proclaiming, “The Page School is what we like to call the 4.0 buster.” Well, since I neither had a 4.0 nor a strong love for waking up at 5 in the morning, I just wanted to run back to St. Mark’s High School and join my classmates for welcome dance, pep rally, and homecoming. Knowing myself, I knew I would not give up that easy. True, the program came with long hours, no technology, and tests that felt like running a marathon, but it was so much more than that. The things that I take back from that experience are the positive ones. The times such as stapling myself to an amendment, walking up to the US Capital everyday and realizing that was our “office”, laying down in the rotunda at 12:00 in the morning, doing the brainless things that you do when you are running on three hours of sleep in the Capital. Those are the times I will always remember. I walked away with friends that I can never forget and the date September 5th
September 5, 2011 is a day that significantly changed my life. While reflecting on it a year later I often stop myself and think: how did I ever manage to graduate my infamous experience as a Senate Page? From the very first second I walked in through the door, the principle was already proclaiming, “The Page School is what we like to call the 4.0 buster.” Well, since I neither had a 4.0 nor a strong love for waking up at 5 in the morning, I just wanted to run back to St. Mark’s High School and join my classmates for welcome dance, pep rally, and homecoming. Knowing myself, I knew I would not give up that easy. True, the program came with long hours, no technology, and tests that felt like running a marathon, but it was so much more than that. The things that I take back from that experience are the positive ones. The times such as stapling myself to an amendment, walking up to the US Capital everyday and realizing that was our “office”, laying down in the rotunda at 12:00 in the morning, doing the brainless things that you do when you are running on three hours of sleep in the Capital. Those are the times I will always remember. I walked away with friends that I can never forget and the date September 5th.
There had many people who have had an impact on my life. However a best friend who I have grown up with has just recently opened my eyes. My friend and I have been raised together, and have been treated as if we are families. Needless to say, we are very close but this past summer has been a tough one. We both turned 17 in June and it was not like previous years. In boys, schizophrenia or bipolar disorder usually presents itself at the age of 17. Unfortunately for my friend, he is now a part of that statistic. His dreams to become a pilot are no longer possible because of his diagnosis. His friends do not understand why he is unable to act the way he always has in the past. His life has been completely flipped upside down. It is too traumatic for words to be able say what he has dealt with in the past few months. He is truly impacting my life as we speak. Friendship is something I thought I had learned from grade school. Now I have a whole new understanding. He has shown me what friends really are for and how crucial they are. I have tried to be the best friend I can through this entire process. I am a person of support and comfort to him, which I am more than happy to be. The impact he has made on me is truly how important my friends and family are in my life.
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Unfortunately for me, this question comes to easily. My father is my inspiration, and my guardian angel. He has greatly impacted my life. MY father was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive cancer 2 weeks after my 8th grade graduation. Because only 600 people in the world had ever had it he was sent to johns hopkins, as a result i spent much of my summer in a car, doctors office, hospital, or home with my family. I do not regret that, I am thankful i spent that time with him. I learned many great things from him in his last year. I learned that he had overcome poverty as a child and had graduated number one in his class. My Dad was truly the strongest person to enter my life. He knew that he would leave behind his kids, and family one day to go to heaven but he never let it show how scared he was. Everything really started to fall apart the day before homecoming when he was diagnosed with a blood infection. My Dad was very sick and very out of it. I had to get ready for homecoming in his hospital room and tell him goodbye at the same time “just in case” as my mom said. After homecoming my dad lived another month in hospice. He was very strong through the whole thing even when my other family members were not. I loved my Dad and never stopped telling him. Right before my Dad died he made sure he picked up “the pieces” of our life. Before he died he saw all his friends, and family and told them he loved them. His death was very sad and hard for my family. I took away from my Dad his love for learning and cooking. I know this expirence will forever change me, and although I love and miss my Dad so much especially during my senior year, I am grateful i was able to see life this way. To see how other treat their parents and to see how well others have it. But when i look up at some of the most important people on this planet I see that they did not have it easy and they overcame struggles and trauma. The two most important things my Dad taught me are; Nothing in life will come easy for me and one day it will pay off. and the second thing he ALWAYS said to me was “Everything is always okay in the end if its not okay its not the end.”
An experience I have had that has changed the way I think is when I joined the Cross Country team. The summer before my junior year one of my friends told me that I should join the Cross Country team that year, and try it out for fun. I thought this was a bad idea mainly because I had never considered myself a runner, and never ran more than three miles at one time. After some consideration I finally signed up thinking that I can quit any time if I don’t like it. When I went to my first practice my idea of distance running instantly changed. I couldn’t believe how much all the guys on the team liked running, when I had thought of it as a chore. The passion they had for their sport was inspiring. At first I was not very good at it, but I just kept running so I could have the same love for it as they did. That season is what led me to join the 300 Mile Club the following summer, which is where you have to log a total of 300 miles in a period of nine weeks. This whipped me into shape and now I don’t mind running. Most of the time I actually enjoy it. By joining the Cross Country team I learned that even something as tedious, and hard as running can be enjoyed with the proper mind set.
Imagine going from living a life that anyone would dream of having to living a life of lies, confusion, and worry. Now imagine this and being in eighth grade or a sophomore in high school. My cousins were born as pretty normal kids living with my aunt and uncle, but things changed pretty quickly. My uncle is the founder of a popular women’s clothing store, his business was doing very well and after a while another company offered to buy his business from him for an amount of money that most of us cannot even wrap our heads around, my uncle accepted the deal. After this deal everything changed for my cousins, their life seemed absolutely perfect. They had homes all over the country, boats, horses, and pretty much everything their heart desired. I remember walking into my aunts room and seeing closets full of clothing and gorgeous gowns lying everywhere with the tags labeled with multiple zeros still attached. My uncle produced movies, while my aunt opened clothing and furniture stores, and my cousins just lived their lives. It seems as if at the blink of an eye it all was gone. My cousins went from staying in the pent house of the Bryant Park hotel, to a nasty divorce and fighting over which parent has enough money to afford to pay my cousins private school tuition. My cousins now live a life of worrying, they had to grow up faster then most of us will in twenty years, and they have been involved in things that a normal thirteen and fifteen year old would most likely never experience. This may have not directly happened to me, but being a witness to this over the years and being with my cousins for most of this summer it has really affected the way I look at life. You cannot fully appreciate the things you have until they are gone. It saddens me that my cousins have had to live their lives like this and it has really taught me to not be greedy in life, but to appreciate the amazing family and things that I am blessed with.
For some people, a person that has deeply influenced them in their current lifetime may pop in their head at any moment. However, this is not the case for me. It took some time for me to think of somebody, before I realized that this person was in the room next to me all along. The person who has made a huge impact on my life and shaped me into the person I am today, has been a part of my life from even before I was born. This lovely person would be my Mom. Through thick and thin she loves me infinitely no matter what. My Mother is one of the nicest ladies you may ever meet and no matter how tough her day has been; she is always brightening the world with her beautiful smile. Every day I am blessed to wake up each morning knowing I have someone who will help and guide me through anything. Throughout my entire life she has raised me to be a gentleman and has taught me to always be there for others. Even after all the hard times and arguments I have put her through; she has always been there for me. Her main rule for my sister and I was to always treat others the way we would like to be treated. I follow this rule at the best of my ability and admire my mom for being the best parent she could possibly be to me. To this day, she continues to direct me towards a life of success and happiness. Without my Mom helping me each day, I would not be the young man I am today.
I consider myself someone that likes to get things done. I will find ways to perform certain tasks or assignments that suit my abilities and strengths. This drive inside of me can sometimes lead me down the path of laziness or urge me to give up on something that is too difficult to accomplish. Whenever I hear those words in my head saying, "Quit now, what's the point anyways?" I remember my grandparents. Since they are of Cuban decent I refer to them as my abuelo (poppop), and my abuela (mommom). When Fidel Castro started his communist revolution on the island of Cuba my abuelos' (plural masculine form represents both grandparents) parents knew that life was changing and that their children would not thrive in the new government. My abuelo came by boat with many other aspiring Cuban-Americans to New York in search of a job and a new life. He found it at a country club that hired him and a few of his friends to be bus boys. My abuelo worked hard for every cent, and eventually retired after moving to Delaware and raising my mom and her sister. My abuela left Cuba with the Pedro-Pan organization led by nuns and came to Florida. She lived in dorms at a convent and went to school and learned English. After a few years she moved to New York with her best friend when her family immigrated and met my abuelo not long after. My abuelos worked for a better life and didn’t quit until they retired. I sit back and think how if they can come to a new country, learn the language, find work, and support themselves, why can’t I push myself to be the best I can be.
It is extremely hard to pick just one person who has honestly and sincerely affected my life in such a way that I am able to appreciate them. Although many people I know have made a certain impact in my life I would have to say that the one person who has affected me the most would be my mom. My mom is one of the greatest people I know. Without my mother I really don’t know where I would be today. She has taught me valuable lessons that I know I would not have learned from anyone else. My mom has worked hard all her life including giving up things in her own life to give me the best opportunities and choices in mine. When my mom was just a child, her mother died. Growing up without a mom must have been the hardest thing for her and her family, but faced with that hard life my mom has still been able to become an inspiring and genuine person that I can always look to for help or guidance. She has overcome more difficulties than any one I know and has inspired me to be who I am today. Although we may argue and bicker over stupid and pointless things I know that she will always be there for me at any time or anywhere no matter what.
My mom has deeply affected my life. Besides the fact that she has raised me and done everything in the world for me, she is an amazing woman who I strive to be like. My mom teaches me things without even knowing it. I watch her put others before herself every second of every day. She has done so much for me and my family and she is even overlooked at times. However she never complains. Being that my father is in the air force, my mom has had to pick up her life and move it to other foreign places. My dad has even had to leave her alone for periods of time in these many foreign places leaving her to fend for herself. This has shown me the amount of strength and courage my mother has. As I have been raised by such a strong person, I notice that I have fortunately learned and inherited some of this strength from her. Now that I am older, my mom and I are very close as mother and daughter, and as friends. We think similar to each other and share many of the same views. She leans on me for support at times as I have always leaned on her. She has pushed me through many struggles in my life and has helped me become a very driven and determined person like her. I am proud to have grown up to be like my mom and she has everything to do with the person I am today.
KaetlinZ, Red
The experience that has left the strongest impact on my life thus far would have to be the day my grandmother, Margaret Walsh, passed away after having battled cancer for over 20 years. Ever since I was a little girl, I always looked up to my grandmother for being a strong, independent, respectable woman. Since my parents had to continue with their long work schedules when I was younger, I stayed at my grandparents’ house for the most part. Having spent the majority of my time with my grandparents, I grew to develop a close bond with them. So when I found out that my grandmother had already been struggling with breast cancer for many years before I was born, I was immediately reassured by her positive, “fighter” attitude, that not even the most vicious of diseases out there could terminate her life permanently. My grandmother refused to give up, even when faced with the biggest hardships, and for that reason I believe she survived for as long as she did. I am truly thankful for that. But soon enough, she graduated breast cancer and eventually became terminal, which meant the cancer had spread and there was no possible way she could fight it off any longer. I may have been young and foolish to think this way, but I never thought that I would live to see the day cancer would have won the battle and taken my grandma’s life. When I first heard about this horrific news, it made me want to lose all hope in myself. I even began to doubt all of the vital life lessons that my grandmother had taught me, since she was no longer with me. I was in complete denial and shock that all of that happened out of nowhere. Though, as I grew older, this experience taught me to cherish and appreciate the people and things which I value most. I realized that instead of remaining in a state of mourning due to my grandmother’s loss, I should show appreciation for the duration of time I spent with her. Her wisdom, knowledge, and courage are what drive me to live every day to its fullest, because when you least expect it, your whole world can change in front of your eyes. Although she is not with me physically, she will forever hold a special place in my heart.
Looking back in my life, the event I think that shaped me the most was transferring schools to Holy Angels. It was in seventh grade that I decided to leave Our Lady of Fatima, where I had been going to school since Kindergarten and where all of my sisters graduated from. Looking back, I’m not really sure why I wanted to leave Our Lady of Fatima other than the distance from my house. I felt like I wasn’t leaving much behind and I wouldn’t miss it. I was not let down that first day of school starting at Holy Angels. I still remember my first day, only knowing a few girls in my class. Everyone was incredibly welcoming to me, though, and I met friends very quickly. Mostly everyone from my graduating class remained friends through high school. I have plenty of friends from Holy Angels that I see every day in the halls. Looking back, I am thankful that I did transfer schools because it was where I met my best friends and my boyfriend of almost 4 years. I wonder what my life would be like had I not transferred. Would I still be friends with my classmates from Holy Angels today even if I stayed at Our Lady of Fatima? Not only did I make great friends, but I also learned a lot. I felt that at Our Lady of Fatima I was not taught what I needed to know for high school. Holy Angels really prepared me for freshmen year and taught me so much. I’m not sure if I would be in the phases that I am in if I did not transfer schools. I am so happy that I made that decision in seventh grade. It helped me shape the person that I am today, through the friends I made and the things I learned.
Traveling is a big part of my life. I want to go everywhere, experience everything. Though I haven’t been to many places outside the U.S.A besides China, Ireland and Greece. I don’t remember much of China but Ireland and Greece are two places I could never forget, especially Ireland.
When I went to Ireland I was in 8th grade. In Ireland we didn’t go to Dublin or any major cities. Instead we went to small towns/islands. We got to see the real, traditional people of Ireland. My family and a friend of mine spent about two week in Ireland however there is one night that sticks out like a sore thumb. My step-dad was determined to make our trip fun for both him and us, kids. On the third or fourth night he took of to this pub. It was very small and everyone in there knew each other. The people in the pub were very nice and talked to my friend and me. I remember my mom getting a pint of beer and letting my friend and me take sips. I was really excited to be able to drink in public without getting caught for it. I don’t remember if there was music or if people just hollered. However, I do remember a guy taking my hand and dragging me to dance with him as I dragged my friend with me. We danced in a circle and other people joined in. Every now and then someone would jump in the middle and do a little Irish jug. The guy who dragged me to dance tried to teach my friend and me how to dance which ended up horribly but we still dance. As the night soon became dawn people started to calm down. Everyone gathered in a circle and they began to pass around stories. I listened trying to understand their thick accents. But the most important event in that night was the singing of these two older women. Their voices were so beautiful it made me want to cry. As they sang they held hands and moved them in a circle. At point they reversed the circle as their song came to an end. My friend and family had never seen anything like that before-the moving of hands-my mom asked why. The women told us that it was an old Irish tradition to do that. That by hold hands they were giving each other strength/energy and by moving it in a circle they were releasing the spirits of the song. So at the end they had to reverse it so the spirits would come back. It was so unique and beautiful, simple. It made me realize that there is more than material things. That tradition and small yet beautiful things are as wonderful as big, lavish things. I think that night was the night I said thank you. Not to anyone particular but just thanks.
Throughout my life there have been many people and events that have made an impact on the person I am today. One event that made an exceptional difference in my life was when I dislocated my knee twice in 8th grade. The first time my injury took place was right around this time in 2008. I was in my backyard playing football with my friend when I decided to try a spin move, our knees collided and that’s when it happened. I don’t remember the pain as much as I remember the fear, I didn’t know what was going on and the paramedics said I was very close to going into shock, which could have led to me going into a coma. I got over my injury though, I want through months of personal training and hard work and by December my knee was back to full health, but that didn’t last for long. In mid December of 2008 I want on a roller skating field trip with my school. The whole trip went well and with five minutes left I hadn’t fell the entire time I was there. I knew we were about to leave so I decided to go back on to skate one more time. I lost control when I was about to get off and I slammed my knee into the concrete wall. I remember lying there, devastated by the fact that I would have to endure another three months of pain and not being able to walk. This event in my life taught me that you never know what’s going to happen in life so can never count on anything. It also taught me to live life to fullest, because you never know what might happen next.
My mother is my biggest influence in my life today. When I was three and a half years old my father passed away from a very rare and very rapid growing cancer. My mother was left to deal with the stress of four young children, all under the age of sixteen, and her job. She had the option of going back into a much loved nursing career and working an abundant amount of hours so that we could live very well off financially or take a secretary job that coincides with school hours and be okay finically. She chose the secretary job and although money was tight sometimes I am very grateful with her decision. This allowed her summer vacations to be spent with us and her availability on the weekends to go to our games and events. She gave us many opportunities to be involved in as much as we could be. For example, I was involved in Girl Scouts, and did a variety of sports such as swim team, tennis, basketball, volleyball, cross country, and track. She sat in the stands at every game and cheered us on even though she could have been at home doing much more vital things. Her unending support for me and my siblings really encouraged us to achieve the highest that we could. If she had chosen the nursing career I do not think that I would have become the person I am today. I am very grateful to my mom and all her efforts to give us a full and happy life.
High school was the one thing I honestly looked forward to in my elementary years. But, as my eighth grade year came around, I had no idea what to expect from it. High school, to me, meant finally being one of the big kids and being able to get out and meet new people. There were not many decisions for me because I knew I had to stay in my small state of Delaware. When I had finally chosen St. Mark’s my parents were thrilled because my mother herself was an alumni. Eighth grade year finished and as the summer flew by I felt on top of the world but little did I know that I would feel so small in a huge school almost quadruple my entire grade school. It was tough adjusting to the new classes, schedule, and friends. I had no idea how much maturing and growing I would have to do to fit in with the other older kids. As I look back now as a senior, I realize that I had nothing to ever worry about. Now, I find myself in the same position, as I was my eighth grade year. I have to pick a whole new school and from many more choices than I did my eighth grade year. The world feels like it is in my hand and I have so many options as to what I want in the school to what I want to be studying and ultimately doing for the rest of my life. To get to this point, many trials and hardships along with the triumphs and celebrations have shaped me into the well-rounded woman that can choose anything I want to do, thanks to St. Mark’s and their push to become a mature young adult.
A person that has deeply affected my life would have to be my stepdad Ron. He is far from the perfect person and has made a lot of mistakes in his life time, but he is someone that has had the most impact on my life. Ron is always asking for more and more. He is never satisfied by what my brother and I give him. I am not talking about tangible items, I am talking about effort. Whether in school or sports or whatever he is always pushing me to do better, be better, and work harder. True a lot of times I just want him to stop or just leave me alone or even just shut up, but I know he is doing it because he cares. He cares so much because he has made almost all the mistakes you can make as a kid and he doesn’t want me to follow down the same path. I truly believe I am where I am at today because of him, both in school and athletics. I have been pushed farther then I have ever thought possible. I have had to keep getting better and better grades to keep him off my back, and now looking back on it as a senior I am grateful for what he has done. The ride wasn’t the most pleasant but I know I am the man I am today because of him.
A person in my life that has impacted me the most would be my grandmother. She was my dad’s mother and acted somewhat like a mother to me and my sister as well. When my parents divorced my grandmother was the one that helped raise me and my sister while my parents worked. She was there to cook us dinner, help us with homework, and even tuck us into bed at night. As a child I never knew how big of an impact she was making on my life but now I see how much she helped and taught us. I always took for granted that I had her around, however when she passed away, from pancreatic cancer, on November 7th, 2010, there were so many things I wish I could say to her one last time. I knew, though, that she is a major part of who I am today and her qualities will always be present in the things I do. I think of her every day and I hope she would be very happy with the person I have grown up to be.
I would like to take a moment before I answer the question about what people do I think helped influence what I am today to say how happy I am to be back at school and the joy of seeing everyone around me. I believe that I must include this because I think that each and everyone around me helped influence what I am today. I do, however, have people that mainly influenced me, and they would be my Mom and Dad. My Dad helped me learn how to have a sense of humor and the joys of making others laugh using your own personality. It was from him that I found my love of making people smile. From my Mom, I learned that work is still important to accomplish and should be the main focus of my life. Because of her more serious outlook, I enjoy making her laugh because it makes her feel better and I know that. My Mom tends to be let down by things that happen in her life. As a result, I show her that I have the utmost faith in her up so that she can be happy. An example would be when she got cancer; I told her that I was not worried because cancer didn’t have a chance against her. I made sure that she knew that I supported her. I would like to believe that I helped her successfully defeat that cancer by keeping her happy in her darkest times.
The one person who has the greatest effect on my life is my uncle. My uncle lived a normal life through his childhood and adolescence, however it is how he lived his adulthood that inspired me the most. My uncle Kieran started out working for Warner Brothers Inc. in California as a marketing rep. I loved him having that job because when I was a kid, he would send me toys and video games from his company for my birthday. He worked there until 2004 when he quit his job. What my uncle did next is what inspires me the most. He chose to travel to Africa and volunteer in a small orphanage in order to help children and young adults whose parents had died from HIV/AIDS. His hard work, determination, and willingness to sacrifice to help others served as something for me to look up to. As a result, my uncle quickly became one of my many role models. After he returned from Africa, he found a job working for the Food Bank of New York as the Director of Marketing. He loved his job, however he later left the Food Bank and then could not find work. My uncle searched and searched for any kind of work but unfortunately was unsuccessful for 2 years. He persevered through the hard times of unemployment and in 2010 found a job working for the March Of Dimes, a non-profit organization that helps mothers have full-term pregnancies. He now lives and works in New York City and loves his job. His story shows me that in life, even though we may do good and serve others, sometimes we end up being the ones who are in need. His demonstration of selflessness in leaving the workforce to help others in need inspired me greatly. My uncle has also inspired me to stay positive and push through the rough times. It has showed me that in time, things will work in our favor and that if we place our faith in God, things will work out. As Marilyn Monroe said, “good things fall apart so better things can fall together.”
The event which affected my life most is moving from South Korea to America to study English. I was born in South Korea in 1994. Therefore, my first language is Korean and I lived fourteen years in South Korea. In 2008, I decided to come to America to see wide world. It was biggest challenge in my life, because not only I came by myself without my family but because I knew only little English. Therefore, I could not understand and listen what people were saying to me when I just came to America. Living in different culture, different country, and with different race of people was harder than I thought and sometimes I really wanted to go back to Korea and just be with my family. Sometimes people made fun of me because of my poor English and because I am Asian. However, as time passed I learned how to avoid that and started to hear, understand, and speak English. I made new American friends who can truly understand me as well. I also was becoming familiar with American culture. Furthermore, now I am learning my third language which is Spanish. If I didn’t come to America, I would not get the chance to study English. Moreover, I wouldn’t be able to communicate with American people and meet my American friends.
Many people have come into my life and affected me deeply, even changed my perspective of the world. However, one perticular individual that has really changed me is my stepfather Ed. Ed is the man who came into my life and helped my family. With two daughters of his own to take care Ed was more than willing to accept and care for my mother, my brother, and I. Though what seemed like endless hours of work, Ed was able to put three, soon to be four, kids fully through St. Marks and off to college. However, this task was made even more difficult when when my mother became I'll and unable to keep her at the University of Delaware. My mother was out on full disability and had little to no money coming in due to constant battles with insurance companies. Though through this hardship Ed stepped up to the plate and kept the bills paid, made sure we all had plenty of food to eat, and made sure that we were all still happy. I saw nights where he stayed up for more that 36 hours working nonstop. Ed was always committed to making sure that everyone in our large family was happy. With all of his effort and dedication, I truly look up to Ed as someone in my life who has inspired me and helped me to be the person I am today.
There have been many people that I have known that have greatly affected my life. However, no one has affected my life any greater than my grandfather. My grandparents have always lived close by so, needless to say, we usually spent almost all of our time together. During holiday breaks and summer vacations, my grandfather and I would do things such as going to the movies, visiting museums and zoos, hitting golf balls at the driving range, and going fishing. On several occasions, we even went to Delaware Park to watch the horse races. During the school year, I used to wonder what he did all day without me to keep him busy, but it never took long to find out because I could always ask him when he came to pick me up when school was over. If I could describe my grandfather in a few words, those words might include funny, loving, caring, understanding, and very smart. By smart, I mean that you could ask him any question at all and he might know the correct answer, and if he did not know the right answer, he would tell you anything that he could turn into a joke. He is always willing to share some of his own life experiences when asked. He has told me much about his childhood, where he grew up, where he went to school, work that he has done, how he met my grandmother, as well as many other experiences. I do not believe that anyone has ever affected my life as much as my grandfather has, and I do not think that will ever change.
Cancer is a disease that ruins families on a daily basis; it takes the lives of people’s family members, loved ones and friends. Cancer took the life of my Uncle Gary on July 5, 2010. My Uncle Gary is one of my biggest inspirations for so many reasons. He battled cancer for quite some time. When his cancer was first found, he was told it was terminal and he only had 6-12 months to live. That was probably the worst news my family has ever heard. But this news didn’t seem to faze Uncle Gary. He carried on with his everyday life; went to his son’s baseball games, went to work, spent time with his family, etc. A year went by and Uncle Gary was still living his life to the fullest. The doctors were surprised that he had lived this long. He started to get really sick and had to stay in the hospital for weeks at a time. His cancer was heading downhill very fast. The day after the fourth of July in 2010 we got the devastating phone call that he had passed away. Uncle Gary is definitely my biggest inspiration and the person that impacts my life the most. Throughout the time that he struggled with this horrible disease, I never once saw him feel sorry for himself or have a pity party or just give up and not carry on with his life. He kept going and living his life one day at a time, making the most out of the time he had left to live. He showed me that you can never take life for granted because you never know what will happen.
Cancer is a disease that ruins families on a daily basis; it takes the lives of people’s family members, loved ones and friends. Cancer took the life of my Uncle Gary on July 5, 2010. My Uncle Gary is one of my biggest inspirations for so many reasons. He battled cancer for quite some time. When his cancer was first found, he was told it was terminal and he only had 6-12 months to live. That was probably the worst news my family has ever heard. But this news didn’t seem to faze Uncle Gary. He carried on with his everyday life; went to his son’s baseball games, went to work, spent time with his family, etc. A year went by and Uncle Gary was still living his life to the fullest. The doctors were surprised that he had lived this long. He started to get really sick and had to stay in the hospital for weeks at a time. His cancer was heading downhill very fast. The day after the fourth of July in 2010 we got the devastating phone call that he had passed away. Uncle Gary is definitely my biggest inspiration and the person that impacts my life the most. Throughout the time that he struggled with this horrible disease, I never once saw him feel sorry for himself or have a pity party or just give up and not carry on with his life. He kept going and living his life one day at a time, making the most out of the time he had left to live. He showed me that you can never take life for granted because you never know what will happen.
Growing up is hard so when you look back, everyone that ever helped you had an impact on you. Adults were always telling you what to do and say, and its not going to stop. I am never going to stop evolving. But the one person that had the biggest impact on my childhood is my father. I can remember always wanting to be just like him for the longest time and in some ways I still do. As a kid I would always eat the same things as him even if I didn’t really like it; because I thought that if I ate and acted like him I would turn into him. I was that kid that would not stop asking their dad questions about everything, even about stuff like what is your favorite color and favorite song. It is so silly now but I really just wanted to be like him. Being an only child my dad was also my best friend. As a kid he was the person that I played with all summer at the beach because my cousins only came for a week or so. I feel like it must have gotten annoying after a while because I followed him everywhere. I bet you if my dad didn’t like cars and working on them neither would I and I would be a completely different person.
Getting a summer job as a hostess last year was an experience that both impacted my life and shaped me as a person. I applied to work at the restaurant during my spring break of my sophomore year. After turning in the application I was surprised with an on-the-spot interview. I could not have been more nervous. I just turned 16 and I figured that I wasn’t going to get hired considering the fact that all the employees at the restaurant were either eighteen or older. However, I was fortunate enough to get hired right then and there! I was both nervous and excited. I was excited that I had just gotten employed, but I was also nervous because I was entering a whole new atmosphere. My first day of work was absolutely terrible. I found myself not being able to relate to the people around me. The waiters and waitresses did not think I was capable of the tasks that the older hostesses were doing. I felt out of place and unappreciated. However, the days got easier from there on out. A girl was hired that was seventeen and the waiters/waitresses were finally giving me the same respect that they were giving the other hostesses. Although the staff was not my only obstacle at the restaurant. Managing the hostess stand, the t-shirt sales and the customer complaints was not as easy as I thought it would be. Whenever I went to dinner with my family when I was younger, I always talked about how easy the hostess’ job must be. After being a hostess, I figured out that I was completely wrong. It takes a lot of patience and multitasking in order to do the job right. I think this job helped me grow as a person and helped me to realize that things are always as easy as they seem.
In a world of the amazing and the biggest and the flashiest, simplicity can be hard to come by. It can be looked down upon. However I see it as a good thing. I would not call my grandfather simple, but neither has he published an album. How he really inspires me is that he is happy and even at the age of 85, has a purpose and refuses to become sullen and grim as many older folks become. Every day he heads out and does work that would tire men in their prime. He has built walls of brick and mortar, landscaped, maintained a pool, redone concrete walkways, renovated his house and much more. He says he loves what he does, and when he was sick last year and was bedridden, he became depressed and unhappy. Our whole family noticed how much he changed and were worried about his mental health. He took a major turn for the better when he got an experimental shot, and now spends his days doing what he loves best: building. He is the person I look up to because he is happy with what he has, and moreover, found his purpose.
I thought I lost my best friend that day. Seeing the overturned semi on the asphalt and Jeff's pick-up truck pushed into the woods made it all the more real to me. I was convinced that I would never speak to or see my best friend again. Not even a month ago, Jeff, one of my great childhood friends, was involved in a serious accident involving himself and the driver of a semi-tractor trailer. It's incredible that something as simple as failing to check one's blind spot can cause such a tragedy. I had no idea what to make of it. I didn't know if he was going to live or die. I didn't know if he would have to live the rest of his life with some kind of handicap or if he would walk away from it without a scratch. I assumed the worst. As I was thinking about all of the misfortunes that were apparent, I thought back to all the good times I have shared with my friend; all the long summer days, skateboarding, swimming, and then staying up all night playing Call of Duty. It made me appreciate him so much more. Even after I received the news that he was very much alive, in rough condition, but alive, I still missed him as if he were dead. After numerous days of being in the hospital, he finally came home. I was the first to come see him, and the last to leave. Seeing Jeff in such terrible condition made me aware of how precious life really is and how dear of a friend he was to me. I no longer take our friendship nor any of my other friendship's for granted, and I damn sure always wear my seatbelt.
It’s not often that you are influenced by one person so considerably that every time you make an important decision, that persons input is in the back of your head. When you first meet the man, normally you are intimidated. With his huge size and thunderous voice, it makes it hard to take in all the advice he dishes out. His voice bellows and carries through doors and around walls too grasp your attention. He demands perfection and respect from you, yet he will not insult or embarrass you. Having already memorized your name after being told it one time, he will take you aside and give you a slight push in the correct direction. While you follow the workout posted on the door every day and begin to generate a sweat, he is already far ahead of you. He has drenched his polo shirt he is wearing because he is circulating the room, looking for someone to help and something to fix. So, once your workout is over you leave the building as a smarter and more justified athlete. After being around him so much and following his guidance you act and feel like a better person. So when making these hard decisions life throws at you first you think, “what would my parents say?” and second you think, “what would Coach Harman say?”.
A person who has influenced my life greatly is my dad, Dave. Growing up, my dad was always a major support system in my life whether it was attending my basketball games, helping me with homework, or giving me advice. I have been very lucky throughout my life to have a huge connection with him. Although there are times where I don’t always show him my appreciation, I am more than grateful for him. As I grow older and mature, I appreciate him in more aspects than before. I admire his dedication, motivation, and positive attitude. Recently, my father started his own company. I truly admire how he took a leap of faith to embark on this hard, yet very rewarding journey. He works long hours and I can tell his stress level is through the roof at times. The most inspirational part of his new business is when he explained to me that he works hard so that he can pass the business along to my brother and I when we get older. I truly admire how his motives and career intentions are to benefit my brother and I for our futures. Throughout my whole life, my father has put my needs and wants above his countless times. He truly is an inspiration when it comes to following in his footsteps and learning from his attitude and morals. I wouldn’t be who I was without him today.
In my short relatively short but sweet time on this earth I have met many people who have impacted my life. I have met many strong people who have persevered through hardships, along with people who seemed to sail through life without a care or trouble in the world. When placed with this assignment of someone who has truly molded me, and made me become the person I am today, I thought long and hard. I pondered over many influential and seemingly very strong and independent people. However, nothing seemed to stick until I thought of the one person who has molded me the most and is the strongest person I know. When this euphony occurred in my brain I was a tad ashamed with myself that I had overlooked this person in the first place. I had been too busy looking for something that would be seen as influential, that I missed the person right in front of me. This person is my mother. I know that when the question is asked, “Who do you look up to the most?”, or “Who do you admirer?”, more likely than not the answer given is a parent or grandparent. However, my mother is special, she has been through things that other people could hardly dream of. I believe the one experience that has molded me the most that I have learned from her, is not to take anyone for granted, because the next time you go to talk to them, they may not be there. My mother tells me this from experience. When she was my age her and her father had a very close relationship she loved him very much even though sometimes she would say things she did not mean to him. She has taught me the lesson never say anything you don’t mean because one day her father went to a meeting and never came back He was killed in a car accident on his way home. Through this extremely painful experience she teaches me never to take anyone or anything for granted, always tell everyone how you feel, and make the most of everything because you will never know when you will do it again.
My jump from middle school to high school was probably when I experienced the biggest changes in my personality. I went from being in a highly sheltered middle school to St. Marks. St. Marks is and always will be an spectacular school supplying teenagers with excellent educations, but my first week, I dreaded it. There was so many new kids that I got to know. Kids not like me. Kids into the kind of things that I wasn’t into. Before freshmen year, the most controversial thing I’ve ever done was eat two desserts in one day. I definitely felt upstaged by all these kids with their “party” stories. I wasn’t sure if I was more scared of the fact that I could not compete with their wild and probably distorted stories or that I was scared I would become like them. This thought followed me until the beginning of my sophomore year, when I realized I had to change. That’s when I met Mary Thomas. Mary was and still is a kind-hearted, easy-going girl. Mary and I became friends immediately, and to this day, I thank her for changing me. I guess changing doesn’t sound like a particularly good thing, but in this case it definitely was. She saved me from being alone, stopped me from judging everyone so much that I don’t let them in, and corrupted me so that I wouldn’t take everything so seriously.
As a young athlete at times you may think you’re invincible. You may think nothing can bring you down, no injury can conquer you, and no one can get in the way of you chasing your goals. Until one day you do go down and stay down for a while. The event that may have affected my life the most was when I tore my ACL in my knee during freshman year at football practice. During that time I was doing things that my body really never experienced before. From running about every day to lifting weights at school for the first time ever, my body was transforming and I was starting to become an athlete that I always wanted to be. I remember it like it was yesterday when it first happened. School had finally started and emotions where high because I was anxious to meet new people at school and get my season started. It was the last play of practice, and I didn’t do anything out of the normal. I bent down to come out of my cut and it was all over from there. I could barely walk on it and after I visited the doctor, he said I was out for the season and wouldn’t be cleared until the spring. During rehab it showed me that if I work hard everything would be better and that I would have to go over obstacles until everything will be back to normal. Self-motivating and self-confidence helped me get through everything because I knew in the end all the hard work would be worth it and I would be back on the field in no time.
There are many events that have impacted my life. One event that I see as one of the most important events to impact my life was transferring from Padua Academy to St.Marks. At Padua things were very different. It was all girls which caused alot of drama since girls are always so catty with each other. When i came to St.Marks i was nervous. i did not know very many people and the school looked so big I was unsure of what i was getting myself into. As i walked through the halls my confusion grew. i did not understand the schedule or where the rooms were, or even what floor i should be on at what time. It all seemed like it was going to be so hard to get used to. After the first day i met so many new people and found it easy to make friends. Soon enough i was having a blast at this school with all my new friends and classes. If i had stayed at Padua i dont know what my life would be like right now. I would not have met all the amazing people in my life today. That is why i think that transferring to St.marks has impacted my life in a good way.
A person who has changed my life is actually a coach of mine. This coach is Mr. Talley, a baseball coach who I first met when I was nine years old, playing organized baseball for the first time in my life. There is not a single event, or even a series of events, that specifically changed my life due to the actions of Mr. Talley. No. In these early years of my baseball “career” so to speak, Mr. Talley instilled a set of values in me that I have carried with me to this very day. I was taught the value of hard work and determination every single day at practice. He molded my mind as a potter would mold clay and has turned me into the young man that I am now. This simple attitude of reaping the benefits of hard work has driven me in all aspects of my life. An example of this attitude put to work is last year when I ran my first half marathon. I conditioned myself for weeks leading up to the race. Going into the race I set a goal for myself of two hours. I ended up beating my goal time by twenty six minutes. This mindset to not be satisfied with where I am but instead strive towards where I could be is all thanks to Mr. Talley. I will carry this attitude for the rest of my life.
My dad has always been there supporting me and coaching me in soccer and basketball ever since I can remember. Even if it was just shooting hoops outback or kicking a ball around he would yell from the house “Keep your elbow in” or “straighten out your foot!” I would always cringe at the sound of the back door opening because it would always be followed by instructions or criticism. However as my years of sports continued, I learned to really appreciate all that my dad has done for me; whether it was standing in the rain as I would practice or setting up cones for drills he was always there. My dad did something that I could never understand as a child. He spent countless hours by my side instructing me so that I could be the very best athlete I could possibly be. At the time of all his criticism and coaching I always thought he was just being “mean” or bossy, but now I truly recognize why he did what he did. He wasted all his time on me so that I could prosper in athletics and all he had to do was sacrifice most of his time. I truly appreciate all the time and effort he spent on me and all the coaching over the years. Even though I quit both soccer and basketball, I have learned a remarkable work-ethic from him and what determination and leadership is really about. Without his guidance, I would not be the athlete I am today.
It's funny how life can treat people. Sometimes its great and other times it feels as though you're carrying a piano on your back. However, there was one crucible I can remember that happened to me in eighth grade that still feels like it happened yesterday. That event was the death of my grandfather. I woke up thinking this was going to be any other normal day when I suddenly heard my mom screaming and crying. It was right then and there that I realized my grandfather finally passed away. Before his death, he was in so much pain. All of the suffering started when one of his blood aneurisms in his back bursted, sending him immediately into the emergency room. The fact that he even survived that was truly a miracle. Though doctors always said it was a miracle, I thought otherwise. I believed he survived that because he was a fighter, never giving up no matter what challenge he came into contact with. However, his troubles weren't over. He steadily grew weaker with each passing day. It eventually came to the point where he couldn't even walk anymore. About one week or so before his death, I always heard him say to my grandmother: "It looks like I won't be around for next christmas". I wanted to burst into tears whenever I heard him say that, knowing he was finally ready to wave the white flag and give up his battle with the complications caused by the bursting blood aneurism in his back. Of course he died a week later, finally fully succumbing to the complications caused by the bursting of the blood aneurism in his back. I cried so much afterwards that all of my tears combined could have created a river. Now, looking back at this tragedy in my life, I learned one critical lesson from that experience that has forever changed the way I think about life and that lesson is this: live life to the fullest and hold your loved ones closely, for if you don't you will be filled with regret. I live mainly based on this principle. Unfortunately, I will always miss my grandfather. He was the one person who would never back-stab me and be there for me when I needed him most. I will never forget him and the legacy he has left behind.
Megan's baby doll; that's what my mom used to call me. From the day I was born Megan dressed me, Megan read me stories and Megan was the only one who could get me to settle down when I was fussy. As I grew older I could no longer be considered her baby but nonetheless Megan was still me biggest fan. She cheered me on at every soccer game, did my bun for every ballet recital and taught me how to pass my first volleyball. If it weren't for the age difference we could have been mistaken as twins. Same eyes, same face structure, same smile, same hands and same exact mannerisms. No matter where we went or what we did you could bet I was following Megan close behind like a little baby duckling. Everyone adored Megan. She was hilarious, she could send the beefeaters into fits of laughter without even trying. This was not the only reason she was so well liked. Megan was beautiful inside and out, she had a ready to help attitude, was always looking at the bright side of things and had the most loving nature. Everywhere she went she would brighten a room and strive to make everyone around her smile. As a child I saw Megan as my real life Disney princess, perfect in everyday, and of course this made me want to be like her even more! She persistently encouraged me to remember my manners, look at the big picture and to always smile. Even today I strive to be just like Megan, a genuine, loving and optimistic person. I can only hope that she is proud of who I am growing into, and that she is smiling over the person she helped mold me to become.
Over this past july we had a death in my family. My Aunt Marian, who I called Mimi and was also my godmother, had passed away during the night. The day I was told she had died my parents brother and I were supposed to go to D.C. for the weekend. Needless to say we didn't go instead we went to a funeral. In the few days after the funeral I realized that I should help my Uncle with my 8 and 5 year old cousins. Before this summer I hadn't spent a ton of time with my cousins but after what happened I started to go and visit them just because I wanted to. This event influenced me because before this summer I had never had a loved one die when I was old enough to know what was happening. A part of me grew up this past July, a part of me that made me more mature, more able to take on responsibilities and more able to choose the right thing to do rather than what I wanted to do. This past summer I spent a lot of time with my cousins, just playing with them, instead of going out with my friends or just sitting around the house being lazy. This event made me more mature then I had been before and so far it has influenced me in a mostly positive way.
About two years ago, my baby cousin Adam was born. However, his first moments in the world weren't in his mothers arm, but rather the nurses. His parents were immediately told that something was very wrong. He went through numerous tests and scans for the first couple of months of his life. He suffered seizures almost every day and all we could do was wait. After much anxiety we learned that he had been diagnosed with cerebral palsy. Although the beginning of his life was very difficult, I knew it would get better. He has great family around him that want nothing but the world for him. I know so far I've just talked about my baby cousin, but already in his two years of life, he has impacted me so much. Because of him, I have become very interested in speech pathology for my possible major in college. Adam cannot talk yet but I can't wait for the day when he learns to speak. Language is one of the most beautiful things we have in life. We get to share every thought, opinion, and dream we have to those around us. It's something that ever person deserves and I would love the opportunity to help give this simple but amazing gift to others. Thanks to Adam, I have a newfound love for speech pathology and a better outlook on life. I hope to make him proud some day!
Out of all the people in my life the two that have influenced me the most to be the person I am today are my parents. I would never be able to just pick my mom or only my dad because they both have pushed me so far to succeed. No one would ever be where there are today without the help and motivation that so many mothers and fathers give to their children. My parents are my number one fans and support me in whatever I do. Their dedication to not only me, but my other siblings is what makes them such inspirations. If it’s not my dad working six days a week, twelve hours a day to support my family and I, it’s my mom giving up her day to make sure everyone is at every activity on time with their work done and a meal made. I can’t even imagine the amount blood, sweat, and tears that went in to create the loving family environment I live in today. Sure you’ll sometimes hear me complain about my parents but I always know that they have the best of intentions for me in their minds. I think that the number one thing I admire about my parents is that no matter what I do in life they are always behind me every step of the way. They are my heroes and I can’t imagine my life without them.
Maybe I should have seen it coming. I left the house with an eerie feeling. It was a friday afternoon and the clouds were dark and dreary. I was about to go into unfamiliar territory but I thought I was ready. My dad told me to drive when absolutely necessary. He thought I wasn’t ready to start driving on my own. If it was up to him, I would have to take drivers’ ed 10 times. But I already had taken drivers’ ed once in both Maryland and Delaware and I was praised for being a very safe and careful driver when I took my road exam at the MVA. I was, in my opinion, an experienced driver. So I said a little prayer to boost my confidence and I took off. I remember only taking local roads because I was too scared to enter I-95. It took me a little longer but that didn’t matter because I knew it would be safer, especially on a busy Friday afternoon. I was almost there, I had almost made it on my own. Finally I could prove to my parents that I was ready to drive on my own, that I could make good and safe decisions, and that I was growing up. I was very wrong. I should have listened to that eerie feeling. I should have listened to my dad when he told me to take it easy and only drive when I absolutely have too. I should have used a GPS instead of google maps. I should have used my glasses rather than my contacts. I should have taken a shorter glances at the street signs and at the directions. I should have done a lot of things differently but I didn’t and it made me feel scared, sorrowful, and embarrassed. I thought that because I passed drivers’ ed not only once but twice and successfully completed my road exam with praise that I would the the last person this would ever happen too. I thought I was more experienced, more qualified to drive than anyone else my age. I had become a statistic and that night I cried harder than the clouds. I realized that the rules of driving provide no exceptions and that has made me a better and truly experienced driver. And at least I got it over with sooner than later, right?
Throughout my 17 short years, I have had many people come into my life and affect me in both a positive and negative way. But to come up with one person, I'd have to talk about the person who knows me the best, my mom. She has had the most influence on me and is there for me when I need help for anything. My mom has inspired me to always try my hardest and never quit. I love how hard and how much time she puts into her business she created over 15 years ago. Back 15 years ago, both my parents were dealing with trouble at work and dealing with 5 kids. My mom decided to quit her job and start her own company as a publisher for grade schools. She started work in the basement and my dad even tried to help set up her office. The business took off and did well enough that my dad quit his job and now works with my mom. Today they both still work very hard from home and even with all the time they put in they still have time for all their children. My mom has been with me my whole life and has had the biggest impact. Because of her I have finally decided on a career path to pursue after graduating St. Marks. Without out her I would not be the person I am today.
I have heard many times that one day you will realize that your mom is one of the most important people in your life. I was too young to believe that until now.
My mother was a hardworking woman that wanted to spend all the time in the world with my brothers and me. She dedicated every day to us, leaving little time for herself. She didn’t mind one bit. My mom has always been a strong, independent woman and she has raised me to be independent too. If I had a problem she would talk to me about it but she always let me make my own choices. If I made the wrong choice about something she gave me the right consequences for it. She taught me that the most important thing in life is to learn from your mistakes. That you are not always going to make the right choices and they may affect you badly but you can’t dwell on that mistake forever. You need to take that mistake and turn it into something positive in your life. She has taught me that success does not come easy, but if you believe in yourself and God you can achieve anything. My mom made me understand that the best thing that you can do in life is be yourself, and never let anyone change that. Never be afraid of expressing who you are. She has taught me to always be genuine and respect everyone, whether they respect you or not. I have realized that people are going to come and go in your life, but she will always be there no matter what.
Realizing now that I am a lot like my mom, I’m very proud of it. She has taught me so many great values and characteristics that I know I can achieve anything in life. I have great confidence in what she has taught me and I will always turn to her for advice because now I have realized that she is that important person that will always be there in my life.
Receiving devastating news about someone you truly love is heart stopping. At 38, my best friend's father was diagnosed with a serious form of cancer. He was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma, a disease that usually affects those in their sixties. When my parents told me I did not understand because I was so young. Now, hearing stories and looking back at my surroundings during that time I have realized the lessons I have learned.
The memory most vivid from that blur of years was a cold Halloween night and I was so excited to go trick or treating with my best friend, Brittany. We arrived at their house and went to the front porch for the annual picture together in our costumes, when I realized that things were taking longer then I had expected. I quickly turned around to see, through the glass door, my dad carrying Brittany's dad down the stairs so he could see us smile for the camera. He was so fragile, like my dad had a towering stack of china in his hands. I thought to myself, "Why are we smiling?" Looking back at the annual photo that was taken that night all I can see are flashbacks of that moment.
Today my best friend's dad is a survivor of cancer. The courage of one man and family that had to strive and overcome such a horrible thing is mind blowing. When everyone was telling them "no", they pushed on and had such a strong faith that I have never seen more powerful. Fighting the cancer didn't stop at good health he pushed on to help others who go through such a tragic experience as he had. Today he is on the board at The Leukemia Research Foundation of Delaware (LRFDE) which collects money to use for the research of Leukemia. The LRFDE today raises their money through Frightland, started the new "big thing" in Delaware, the Mud Run, along with many other events. I now see that when something doesn't go your way or you need to push on and never give up. You need to carry throughout this journey a strong faith, courage and to always smile even when things get rough.
“F.O.E.” Family over everything. I was raised in a very tight-knit family environment. Growing up in Vietnam, my family didn’t have much to our name, but we had one another. This topic brings me back to an experience I don’t recall happening at all, but from the countless times my mother have told the story during dinner, it makes me feel like it happened yesterday. Since the age of three, I’ve always been known for roaming the streets from relative to relative. It wasn’t a cause for concern considering that there were only two streets where I live and they were situated on each sides of the river. Not to mention, neighbors were addressed as sisters, brothers, uncles, aunts, and cousins rather than friends. One afternoon, I decided to head over to my aunts house to get my older sister, My, for lunch. After a few kisses and good-byes, we headed home. She can’t really recall the conversation that took place on our way home, but she surely remembered what happened next. She has the mark to remind her of that vicious walk home. Before we reached home, we spotted a pit bull off of his leach. There was no way of escaping or outrunning the beast other than to jump into the river. Living in a place with only two streets, it was hard to maneuver considering the street could only fit two motorcycles at a time. The only way to get to the other side of the river was to swim or cross the bridge, but we were nowhere near the bridge of relief. It would have been relieving to just cross it and deal with that beast of a bit bull. We had no option but to take our chances and hope that it doesn’t spot us. We strategically crossed the house with tip toe movements, and we finally cleared the house. With worries still looming in our thoughts, we did not run for home fearing it would hear our steps and chase after us. According to the stories, my three year-old side came out soon after crossing the danger of the dog. I let loose a laugh for the ages, thinking that it was safe. Sure enough, the pit bull heard me and he was on the pursuit for our butts. The dog closed in on us, so I started to cry; that’s not how I remember it, but then again, I don’t recall this happening at all. When I felt the hot breath of the dog on my neck, I jumped for my sister’s back and she suffered the consequences of my actions. The pit bull launched himself completely into my sisters left butt cheek and got a mouthful of flesh. With the weight of me on her back, holding on for dear life and the pain of the bite, she fell to the street. Luckily, this happened outside of my uncle’s house who was there to chase the dog off and prevent further damage to both my sister and I. This story reminds me of how important family really is, we are always there to lean on one another, but in this case, jump on one another.
I know for a fact that I could not be who I am today without them. While many people have made a great impact on my life, I would have to say my parents have influenced me more than anyone else. They have always been there for me and have always guided me down the right path. They have supported me through everything and filled me with confidence. I know that I would not be as good a young man as I am today without their help; and I know that, with their help and guidance, I can do or be anything. They have taught me the core values of a good person and the importance of caring and respecting others. My parents have always worked hard and have taught me to do the same while showing respect for others at the same time and without putting others down to get ahead. I am truly blessed to have such great people in my lives and even more blessed to have them be my parents.
There’s a saying “blood is thicker than water”, to me this means that family is there through thick and thin. I have had a variety of influences in my life. My family makes up a large percentage of those influences. It’s hard to name just one person that has directly affected my life because on a whole my entire family has helped me find who I am as a person. Just like any other family, my family has dysfunctional moments but through love and support we are there for one another through anything. This is one of the major things that I learned from my family. They showed me how to be grateful with what I have, and not dwell on everything I lack. A family has a love that is unconditional, which is the kind of love that gets you through some of the roughest times of your life. One of the best things about my family is knowing no matter how much I want to, I can never give up on myself because my family will be right there to bring me back to my senses. Most importantly, my family has given me love. Without love I wouldn’t be who I am and I wouldn’t have learned to appreciate my family as much as I do. Love is what unifies people in so many ways and helps them find who they are and their purpose in life.
MackenzieG purple
On July 26, 2011 my life and the life of my family changed forever. I was randomly woken up by my mother to hear disturbing news about my nine year old cousin. My mother informed me that my aunt and cousin were in a terrible car accident that left my cousin fighting for her life. My cousin Lilly and my Aunt Steph were going shopping to celebrate Lilly's birthday. On their way home my Aunt Steph was making a turn and did not see anyone coming. As she was making the turn a motorcyclist hit their car going 110 mph. This impact caused their car to spin out of control as well as the passengers inside. Lilly was immediately rushed from the Milford scene to the hospital. The nurses and doctors quickly realized that they could not handle her critical condition. She was then rushed to the AI DuPont hospital in Wilmington by helicopter. As soon as Lilly arrived they began to try to stabilize her condition. While all of this chaos was going on her immediate family headed to Wilimginton from Milford. The doctors and nurses worked around the clock for the next three days to stabilize Lilly. She was then in a comma for about three weeks. This tragic accident brought our family together. My parents and I would go to the hospital and visit Lilly for hours, this was started to become a daily routine. Since Lilly was staying at the AI hospital my parents generously invited her parents to live with us since they lived in Milford. There were many changes going on and it opened my eyes. I came to realize how close my family is and how everyone is always there for each other when one of us needs something. Being in and out of the hospital all the time and watching how great all the doctors, nurses, and therapists were with my cousin made me see what I would like to do in life, help others. My calling was to be a physical therapist. Seeing my cousin improve day by day with everything she did was amazing. Lilly has come so far. From being in a comma for three weeks to moving her fingers for the first time to finally being able to walk and even talk on her own. So many people were there for her not just including my family but all the hospital staff. The staff made a true difference in Lilly's life and her improvement. One day I would like to be able to tell my own kids how I retaught a young girl how to walk. This is my dream and my dream came to me because of my very special cousin Lilly.
Since growing up from a child to now in my life, the one event that affected my life the most was when I first started running cross country. Being a distance runner is something a lot of people will never understand, they’ll say it’s boring or to tiring to go out and run 7 or 8 miles a day. I take this as something fun to go and do almost every day of the week. I don’t know what it was about running that got me so intrigued but I knew I liked it and I’ve now run cross country every year since fourth grade. I’m always waiting all year for it to come back to August so cross country can start again because it is the one thing that I put full effort in. I am a very competitive person and I think that is what helps me be so dedicated to the sport. Before running I was never good at any sports at all, I was the worst player on my basketball, tee-ball, and soccer teams and was up until eighth grade, now I only run cross country. Running helped give me something that I could actually be good at and I think that is why it affected my life so much and why I still run today.
There would be too many events to talk about that have deeply affected my life. Instead, I would like talk about my mom and how much she has done to help me through all of the rough times in my life. Unfortunately, high school has not been a very pleasant experience for me. Freshman year started out wonderful and I had amazing friends, but soon enough things went downhill. It became a struggle for me to go to school, considering I would hear a new rumor about myself almost everyday. I tried brushing it off, but soon enough the things being said started getting to me and making me even more upset. There were several upperclassmen girls that would say things to me in the hallways as I was walking to my next class. My mom began to realize something was not right with me by the way I was acting. I would always come home from school and go straight to my room, whereas normally, I would tell my mom all about my day and be the energetic and smiley girl that I have been my entire life. Depression and anxiety runs in my family which I think influenced the way I reacted to the situations I went through. To make matters worse, I was always very sick and fell behind in school from missing too many days. In 2010, I was hospitalized 5 separate times because of my tonsils and being severely dehydrated. My mom always came to my rescue, though. Throughout my years in high school I have gotten extremely close to my mom and I am more than thankful for that. I can tell my mom anything and I know she will always support me and give me the best advice to try and make me happier again. I used to never want to tell anyone about my struggle with anxiety and depression, but now I think of it as a learning experience. In ways I am glad for this because it has made me a better person in every kind of way. It has made me more caring towards others because I would, in no way, want someone else to feel as I did throughout high school.
I can’t really think of anything that has affected my life that much besides the time when my dad lived in Washington D.C. for the year. His job got transferred down to Washington D.C. so he lived in a condo for a year down there. This happened during my freshman year at St. Marks. This affected my life because now it was just my mom to take care of me and my two sisters. My dad normally drove me and my older sister, Lauren, to school every morning while my mom drove my younger sister to her school but now my mom had to take all of us to and from school everyday. She also had to manage our dance schedule with driving us down at different times throughout the night. She also had to make dinner at different times for different people. This was a lot of running back and forth and no time to relax. Also without my dad being home there was no one to help me and my sisters with all our homework. It was hard to handle and we all missed him being around. He now travels too and from Washington D.C everyday so its easier for me, my mom and my sisters. I now know how hard it is to take care of three children by yourself from seeing my mom deal with it. I know he sacrifices a lot for my family.
When I was about 6, my grandmother had died from an illness, one I was too little to understand about. I remember having to drive all the way to Philadelphia (I was living in Ohio at the time) to go to something I knew wasn’t going to be fun at all. Of course, as a child, I had little knowing of the world and how death worked. I only knew that I wouldn’t be seeing my grandmother ever again. At most times like this, parents take the time to try to explain to their young children what death means; mine did not. What I remember most about the funeral was my cousin, the same age as I, absolutely in hysterics during the whole thing. I admit, I felt guilty about my lack of extreme emotion during this time, as I had not shed a single tear.
After the funeral and after we returned home, the normal routine set in again. As I was arriving from school one morning, I found that our house cat was not home. I quizzed my dad about her whereabouts, and he just looked at me with a grim face and explained to me how our cat had been run over by a truck on the road by our house. I was very upset at this, but not because I had lost our cat, but instead because her kittens had lost their mother. I confronted my mom later about how upset I was that the kittens were now motherless and she started crying a bit. At the time, I assumed it was because she felt the same way as I did, but see explain to me after she regained her composure, that that she felt the same sadness the kittens felt, because she had just lost her mother. After a minute or so of thinking of this, it finally clicked to me what death meant and what it meant to those around those who had moved on. That was when I finally started crying over my grandmother.
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People always say “we remember moments not days” but I think sometimes when something bad happens, you can’t get that date out of your mind. June 22, 2011 will always be a day that rings a bell in my head. The summer had just started, it was scorching hot, entirely too hot to exercise outside. So my mom and I decided to go to the gym. After working out for around an hour we returned home, parked in the garage and entered through the side door. My mom screams a lot, and I think I’ve memorized all of them, the piercing scream when she’s being tickled, the angry scream when she yells my name up the stairs and the painful scream when she bumps into something. But while walking in the house a step behind my mom, I heard a scream I’ve never heard before. Pure fright. I immediately look up to see two tall men standing in my kitchen surrounding themselves with all items of value from my house. We were being robbed. As my mom told me to run out the front door one of the men threw a kitchen chair at us so they had time to slip out the back door and window they had broken. In their quick getaway they only had time to grab a few items and scurry through my back yard to a hideout spot. Police came and helped us look through the ransacked house with clothes thrown everywhere and items turned over on the ground. Not much was taken besides a camera, iPod, and cash. But that day so much more was taken, my feeling of safety in our own house, my trust in people in general, even my maturity level since I felt I couldn’t sleep alone for weeks. This experience taught me you’re not always safe even when you think you’re in the safest place in the world, your home. Also in an hour your whole world can be turned upside down. And eventually taught me most people are good and can be trusted and you can’t be scared of everyone.
July 9, 2010 was the day that changed my viewpoint on life forever; almost loosing your life defiantly has an impact on the way you think about things. I was transferred by helicopter to A.I DuPont hospital with a pulse of twenty, blood pressure 60/80 and still falling, and severely unconscious. They performed numerous amounts of blood test, x rays, cat scans, etc. I was unable to walk for ten days and not able to eat for three. My mom stayed with me every single night except for those two nights I had to stay in the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit. Two nurses watched me for thirty-six straight hours. Family and friends had to wear masks, gloves, and cloth over their body simply because they didn’t know what virus I had. After I was transferred to the CIC unit numerous amounts of people came in and prayed over me. This was the turning point in my life. As soon as they prayed over me, my vitals sounds went almost perfect. I wasn’t sure about God when I first went in to the hospital always had that question “is there really a God?” Still from this day we do not know what virus I had and never will., but from encountering this ordeal I now know the answer. Yes there is a God and yes I am a miracle.
Many people talk about experiences like something that happened once in their life. It was one event or incidence that changed their view or made them a better person. Mine is quite different, yet similar in many aspects. My experience is ongoing, as to say it never stops. At 11 months old I was diagnosed with a genetic disease called Cystic Fibrosis. This disease is something I must live with daily, and in turn has molded me into the person I am today. Some of us face challenges that you must take head on, even though it is easier to run away, not face it and forget about it. When facing the kind of difficulties I deal with on a daily basis, you have no choice. Unless, however, your life means nothing to you. Having Cystic Fibrosis has made me compassionate to others, as well as making me a solid and loyal listener. Sometimes is hard for me to listen to other people ramble about little problems, but in their lives it’s the biggest thing they’ve had to face. Sometimes it’s hard for me to sympathize with them, and it is something I work on. It’s hard to make other people understand your struggles and challenges, no matter who you are and what you face.
One of the events that most effected my life was when my grandfather aka "pop pop" died. My Pop Pop was a great man. He was a bit of a workaholic but that never held him back from being a great family man at the same time. Whenever we would have family get togethers he would never cease to have the whole family laughing until our stomach hurt with his humorous phrases such as "hold the phone" when he didn't understand something that we had already been over like 13 times. He never failed to brighten the mood of everyone surrounding him. My Pop Pop was a scientist and he didn't retire until the day that he passed away at age 83. He graduated from Yale when he got out of high school. After he went through Yale he went straight into the Army and served his country during World War II. After he got out of the military he went on to become a scientist. My Pop Pop was a very well accomplished man and he was a great family man as well as a dedicated worker. One night my Grandmother realized that what he was saying really didn't make any sense and thought that was something wrong with him so she drove him to the hospital. She found out that he had a stroke that night and he wasn't doing to well. The next day by the time we got up to connecticut to visit him he had no clue who we were. He looked at us like he might have recognized us but had no recollection of any of us or any of the memories that we had together. He died a month later the day after thanksgiving. This is a day that I will never forget. This is a man that the whole family looked up to and all of the sudden he was no longer in our lives. This is one of the the even in my life that most deeply effected me.
You chose a woman over your own child. You weren’t there for Christmas, birthdays, watching me grow up, speaking my first word, my first day at school, learning to ride a bike, learn to drive, soccer, & most of all loving me & being a father. You live as though I do not exist. You want nothing to do with your own daughter. You chose to not love me because I would have ruined your marriage.
Its quite depressing if you think about it. As a child I would wonder to myself "why doesn't he love me? What is wrong with me? What is he like? What are my brothers like? Will I ever meet him? Will he ever love me?” But the sad truth of it is you will never accept me into your life. It would ruin your whole life. Your marriage would be destroyed. Your sons would hate you for lying to them all these years. You would never be a role model in your church, to your kids, at your job but instead you would be frowned upon. I would never want to ruin your life because unlike you I am able to love & care about others rather just myself. I put others before myself a lot. I would rather I just feel the pain of this situation viruses your whole family feeling the pain. That doesn't mean that I do not want you to be aware of what this causes me. Because of your selfishness I will never know what its like to have siblings, my real father, & a true family. I felt abandoned, neglected, unloved, & confused. I have seen my real father only a few times that I barely remember. I have no idea who you are.
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