Personal Narrative Essay Psychology

The glaring white walls that scare most others bring comfort to me. During my life I have spent a profound amount of time wandering the halls of these mazes. Each room in this building has a story behind it, a path of hope, pain, and resilience. To me, hospitals are one of the places I feel most relaxed. My mom was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis is 2003, just as she completed her PhD in psychology. As she finished what she thought to be the hardest portion of her life, she was dumped into a whirlwind of pain that easily overshadowed the struggle of attaining her doctorate. My early life was my mom’s new beginning as well: it was her start as a disabled worker, mother, and wife. Though this was new ground for the both of my parents, having a disabled relative was all I knew. My mother throwing up at the dinner table due to her inability to swallow was not only commonplace but expected. I grew up not only learning to walk, but learning the instinct to reach out and support my mother’s wavering steps as well. I still have distinct memories of my mother going blind when I was eight, and losing the ability to move her legs when I was eleven. To me, these occurrences are as normal as going to school.
As a result of my mom’s on-the-spot breakdowns, I am able to stay levelheaded in intense situations, which enables me to be a competent leader. Due to my mother’s continued productivity despite her disability, I value moil and persistence; consequently, I continue functioning in times of great duress. And most importantly, because of my family’s reliance on humor, I am an optimist, and am able to espy the positive side of just about any situation. This is how I draw comfort from the rushing nurses, whitewashed walls, and the incessant beeping of life support machines: I recognize that this is what keeps my family and I