Not many young women can say they held their fathers hand as he died when they were just 15 years old. None of us want to be able to say that. His name was Patrick, and it happened in January of 2010. It wasn’t your normal heart attack or cancer; it was due to drug usage, the breaking in of a house, and multiple fires of the police’s taser guns. He was in a coma for a week, until we finally pulled the plug. Months went by and this event was still all over the media. Even though most people didn’t know it was my dad, because we have different last names and didn’t live together, it still made it more difficult to handle, as if it wasn’t hard enough. At the time, I felt like things would never get better, but I was completely wrong. My family, friends, and positive outlook on life got me through the most traumatic event of my life. This is why I believe you have to allow yourself to let people catch you when you fall.
As teenagers we often think we are invincible, but letting go, and letting yourself be vulnerable is the only way to let others in during your time of need.
At first I wanted to stay under my covers forever and hide, but with coaxing from my companions I was soon able to venture back out into the world. I think you never truly know how much you are loved until you need help, but knowing you need help is a key factor. As teenagers we often think we are invincible, but letting go, and letting yourself be vulnerable is the only way to let others in during your time of need. It’s okay to cry in front of your friends, or to let your mom kiss your forehead and tell you everything is alright. However, the crying and cuddling can only last so long; being positive by yourself makes life so much happier.
It seems as though a lot of teens today often say things like “I hate everything”, or “I hate everyone” or even “I hate my life”, but I’ve never thought that way. Even though I went through something absolutely horrible, I never succumbed to these thoughts. When it happened, I didn’t see anything necessarily positive about my situation, but eventually I took the positive attitude of my friends and family and applied it to my own way of thinking. One: what doesn’t kill you makes you so much stronger. Two: try to laugh every day, and throw a few smiles in there while you’re at it. Three: somebody else has it a whole lot worse than you do, so be thankful for what you have. Four: appreciate those who love you, and show those you love how much you care (especially your mom). Five: let your loved ones catch you when you fall, they’ll brush off your knees and show you how to walk again. This, I believe.
