Adversity In My Life

When asked to identify an individual who has had a significant influence on me, I immediately think of my mom. Throughout my childhood, my mom has been the figure that I've looked up to, longing to one day amount to her ceaseless faith and her colossal strength. Together, my family and I have gone through a plethora of trials; however, despite these, my mom's faith refused to vacillate. Therefore, the first of these hardships began in December 2005 when my sister, Jenna, was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. During this horrific time, my mom was forced to not only remain strong for my sisters and I, but to additionally remain strong for herself and my dad. Looking back with a matured perspective, I never cease to be amazed by the
way my mom handled this terrible experience. Although it was difficult, my mom made sure that my childhood was not overlooked by their attention to Jenna's illness. In addition, it was evident that my mom's unrelenting strength was due to her faith in God in which rather than attempting to maintain her stability herself, she gave her anxieties to God with the complete confidence that He would supply her with endurance.

Though the unremarkable stoicism mirrored by my mom during my sister's cancer has affected me in unimaginable ways, an additional trial and its impact on my mom's strength has added to my admiration of her.
This tribulation began in 2007 when my dad was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's Disease (ALS) soon before Jenna was declared cancer-free. Shortly before his diagnosis, we were eagerly anticipating the approaching day when we would be a normal, healthy family unit once again. However, when he was diagnosed with ALS, my mom knew that our lives were about to drastically change— especially hers. Therefore, as my dad's health steadily deteriorated, my mom was forced to become a full-time mom as well as a "part-time nurse" in which his condition prompted her to dress him, feed him, bathe him, etc. Watching her husband become enveloped by an incurable disease was horrifying, yet my mom handed her emotional turmoil to God which encouraged her to push through the pain. During this time, I could detect the affliction on my mom's face, yet she refused to allow this experience destroy her or her faith. Nonetheless, on January 2, 2012, my dad passed away and though this was an extremely difficult day, my mom remained strong for my sisters and I. Altogether, when I glance back at this experience, the first thing that comes to mind is my mom's unwavering strength, faith, and coping
mechanism.

All in all, if it wasn't for my mom's selfless actions during these troubling times, I would not have amounted to the person I am today. This is because her unfaltering faith has resonated with me, encouraging me to maintain a relationship with God as well as rely on him to carry me through the inevitable hardships that life entails. In addition, she has influenced me to keep moving no matter how challenging it is and that these trials will essentially transform me into a better, stronger, and more faith-reliant person. Therefore, due to my mom's influence on me, I intend to transcend the life lessons and ideals that she has showed me into the subsequent phases of my life. Moreover, with college quickly approaching, I steadfastly trust that these impacts will alter my outlook, allowing me to further my education as well as touch others with my experiences. In continuation, since I plan to major in Education, I hope to use what my mom has embedded into me by influencing not only those around me, but my future students as well. In other words, as a current high school student, I experience and witness the struggles individuals covertly endure everyday. Therefore, I have an utmost desire to use my personal trials to encourage others to continue going through theirs— despite the pain and emotional distress that they may cause. Moreover, through my mom's influence, I have formed a greater sense of empathy and compassion for others, which I'm eager to apply to my college experience as well as to my future classroom. Altogether, my tenacious mom has instilled into me an array of values that have shaped me into the woman I am today, encouraging me to impact my peers and the coming generations with indefatigable faith.