Liz Murray Homeless

From Homeless to Harvard
Imagine, being a child of drug addicted parents, losing your apartment at the age of 16, becoming homeless, and having no one to truly depend on except yourself, this woman Liz Murray has been through countless circumstances. Murray saw herself wanting to be something more than just being homeless and a daughter of drug addicts. She turned around the odds that were against her. Learning about her and the horrific childhood she went through it shows people their present does not have to be their future. Liz Murray overcame drug addicted parents, exhibited passion to create a better future for herself, and displayed how independent she was.
Liz Murray overpowered being raised by drug addicted parents. She did not live
what we call a “normal” childhood. Murray shares, “My parents were addicted to drugs — hardcore drugs... Like my mother, I was always saying, I'll fix my life one day” (Andrei para 7, 12). The audience that reads this quote would understand she wanted to fix her life and she wanted to make something of herself someday, but there were obstacles that stood in the way of her goals. Murray hopped over all the hurdles that wanted to make her fall down. She wanted to be more than just a statistic.
While growing up, my childhood was pretty difficult; however, I did not have drug addicted parents.
My mother was a teenage parent, and my father was not much of a father. My mother struggled with money issues, while also trying to make time for school. I never was homeless, but we never had a place that was just ours until I got around the age of 11. She soon became finically stable, finished school and received many degrees. She had changed her life around and made for a better childhood and future for us. She was determined to overcome the obstacles that came our family’s way. I am also determined to never let what my mom had to go through arise again, nor let it arise on just me. Liz Murray did not just show me how she overcame drug addicted parents, buts she also showed how passionate she
was.
Passion is what helped Murray accomplish what she believed she could.
Without the passion she felt in her heart, she might not have made it to where she is. Liz says, “There was a feeling in my heart that I want so badly to be transferred to every person I meet, which is that passion I felt for what would happen I just kept going”(TEDXYouth 9:06). Murray believed in any circumstance people should push through it and accomplish what their dreams are. If more people would persevere, a lot of dreams would be reality. Persevere is what helped her get from being homeless, helped her get to Harvard, and helped her become an inspirational speaker. Alongside being passionate, she was also independent.
Throughout her journey, she showed how self-reliant she was. Murray had no ones to shoulder to lean on expect her own. Murray explains, “I became very self-sufficient. If I needed something, it was me and the world” (Rubis para 3). Majority of her whole life she had no one, because she was eldest of all her siblings, and her parents were either high or unresponsive. She had faced the world alone at the age of 16. For her to reach the life she wanted, she had to trust in herself and what she knew she could
accomplish.
Liz Murray overcame being homeless, having a horrendous childhood, and being a statistic. She is unknown hero who can and will change other’s lives. When people who are in the same situation as her hear her story, it will give them courage to push through and make it where they want to be. Murray had dreams, so she overcame drug addicted parents, was passionate throughout her life, and showed how resilient she had to be. She conquered her fears, her future, and her life. Liz Murray shows us life is unpredicted, but we either overcome it or let it over take our lives. When a person sees a homeless person, they should think what did get they do to get there, what have they been through, and how can I help?