Personal Essay: Traumatic Events That Changed My Life

Events that happened in my country, Iraq shaped me as a person and without them I wouldn’t be who I am today. I experienced traumatic events in my life that changed the way I start looking at things in the world. Most of the events were happening back in 2006, when the American forces were invading Iraq, when the helicopters were starting to invade the skies of my land; I’ve seen missiles launch like shooting stars from the sky. Instead of making a wish, I would pray it would vanish. Fear was always on my mind, so much that I would go to sleep with shivering legs. Those things involve dealing with people, family, friends, etc. The first thing that I’ve learned from my experience is nothing lasts for long, especially people. Somehow I kept going and decided to stay strong just a little bit …show more content…
It didn't’ feel like I was safe, it felt like the end was coming. Each day I would be wondering if today was the day I would go away. No matter what I did and no matter what I say, when I look in my mother’s eyes I see hope; but at the same time the environment that I lived in was chaos, bloodshed, and destruction. I would watch my favorite cartoon when I was young, and it made me forget. I would laugh and talk about it with my siblings, because I love communicating so much; it made it easier for me to finish my day with something fun happening. Not to mention the love I have for video games. Me and my brother would spend hours together playing, till this day I still smile at how fun it was.
I feel lucky to be in a safe place, a place where I might call home. No matter how ghastly this sounds, I feel grateful for this country, the same country that invaded my home. These events made me appreciate more people in my life. Also made me more careful and understanding of who’s fake or trustworthy. I would remind myself everyday and repeat it in my head, to be kind all the