What Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Stronger--Alec

 

Throughout my life I have experienced events that no child should experience however, that have made me into the person I am today. When I was in second grade, in the winter time of 2007, I experienced one of the two events I will be illustrating. I will never forget that day as my family was full of joy as we were going to Disneyland during our winter break. The day was extremely fun, we went on all the rides, ate good food, and I was seven so of course I had a good time with my family.

The fun had finished and we went home. Everyone was tired, my two older sisters and I were passed out in the back seat and my Mom in the front. We got home and everyone was ready to go to bed after the long day we had. I went to sleep first and not even ten minutes after closing my eyes I heard a loud bang come from one of the other rooms in my house.

I thought nothing of it but then I heard running coming from my sisters room and heard my Mom yell to my Dad that my sister Isabelle was having a seizure. I went outside and saw my sister shaking on the floor and my Dad over her not knowing what to do. Everyone was scared as this was the first time something like this happened. Thankfully we have a Doctor in my family so we called him and he told us how to control the situation until the paramedics arrived. That night was definitely one of the scariest nights in my life. I remember the paramedics taking my sister downstairs on a stretcher and crying saying goodbye to her. My Grandma came to take care of my other sister and I while my parents were at the hospital with my sister. I just remember crying and being scared and confused until the tiredness of the day came upon again and eventually fell asleep in my Grandma’s arms.

The next day my parents woke me up from my bed walked me over to my sister’s room and told me my sister was alright. Although it was a frightening experience, what mattered was that my sister was okay. This experience as a child first introduced me to the life lesson of not taking your loved ones for granted.

The next event that had a major impact on my life happened when I was in the fifth grade. At this time I was one of the youngest in my family and among my cousins. I am blessed to say I am a part of a big family and grew up with over ten cousins that I would consider like my siblings because of how close we all are. A majority of my cousins are girls, so my older cousin Andy and I were super close even though he was eleven years older than me.

The Sunday after my sister had her party for completing her confirmation, which is a sacrament of the catholic church, I went with my Dad to the store and overheard my Mom say to my Dad over the phone that they cannot find my cousin Andy. Once we got home my Dad left a couple hours after and my sisters and I thought nothing of it. A few hours went by and Mom came home but with my older cousin Angel. She said we had to go to my aunt’s house and nothing else. Once we drove up my mom parked the car and said to my sisters and I, “Before we go in, I have to tell you guys that Andy is in heaven now.” My cousin got into a crash on Mt. Baldy in the morning of May 18, 2014. We all started weeping in the car but thankfully my older cousins were there to help calm us down, that way we could comfort each other. I remember seeing all my loved ones in pain, and that is one of those memories you do not forget from your childhood.

I think about my cousin a lot, but I try to remember the fun and not the pain. Often when I think about him, I try to think about how him being in my life was a blessing in and of itself, even though his death put my family and I through pain. My cousin’s death was the first loss I experienced in my life. Although I was young when this happened, this experience soon helped me realize that being alive is a privilege and you have to cherish every moment of it, even the hard times. When thinking about his death I think of the blessings God has put in my life that I haven’t experienced a death as close to my cousin’s since then. Also, how although my sister has had her seizures, she has been alright after the few incidents she has had. I think of how my family is a blessing and how we are able to pick each other up and come together when we are down and how this allowed us to not go through his death without one another.

In tragedies like these I am not alone, as people have endured worse situations than mine. However, experiences like these help mold you into the people you become. I know many people and family members that when they experience circumstances similar to mine, they gain life lessons and meaning that can be carried with them forever For me, I felt that my cousin’s death and my sister’s illness have taught me to be a better brother to my sisters, an example for my younger cousins , and a shoulder for people to lean on when they need it. See, I believe that experiences can knock you down, but it is up to you if you have the determination to build yourself back up stronger and live by what you have learned from those experiences.