How Adversity Changed My Life

Growing up I never truly understood what it felt like to lose someone close to you, I had never experienced such a loss before. I would always hear stories from other people about death and loss, but it never happened to me personally. I´d like to think I felt sympathy for those people, but I could never empathize with them, that was until February 6, 2014 when I got an alarming call. My aunt was calling to inform us that my grandma had passed away. I remember that day like it was yesterday, because it was the day before my birthday. I soon realized what it felt like to have your heart ripped from your chest and to feel impotent. My grandma was my best friend that I told everything to and I could not accept the thought of her being gone. She was eighty-six and she had Alzheimer's so her death was not unexpected, it was just difficult to let go. Every day was harder than the one before, I constantly felt alone and guilt-ridden. I felt like I didn't do enough to keep her alive and well. The stress from her death placed a huge burden on my life. My education as well as my social life was suffering. I hated going to …show more content…
I overcame my struggle, although I believed it was impossible to do so. Nothing stopped me and because of that challenging part of my life, I am a better person today. Now when I think of my grandma, I know that she would be proud of all of my accomplishments so far. She motivates me to be persistent in my life journey. I face new challenges every day and every time I prevail. The mistakes I made during that dark time showed me what life is all about, it helped me appreciate the beauty of life and the importance of family. I truly understand how blessed I am to be alive and thriving, I am still young and have many years left. The mistakes we make in life do not define us, rather the choices we make to correct those mistakes are what truly