Name: Stephanie Martell
Category: High School
Dr. Parker’s Quote: Inspirational Advice for Daily Living
People are not often changed for the better by having life easy.
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Essay:
It all started on a normal day, just like any other. I drove up to rowing practice, put my car in park and got out to lead the team in stretching. The four captains, including myself, were in the middle of a large circle of our teammates counting away the stretches. After a few minutes, we noticed the absence of three of our coaches, all belonging to the same family. We all looked at each other with worried eyes, which worsened with the approach of crying coaches. We all expected something bad, but never could have guessed what was to come. One of the coaches, Ted, approached us and said, “I don’t know how to put this, so I am just going to say it …Georgie passed away last night in a car accident”. The team stood there in shock and tears washed over the crowd. How could this happen, how could a man so generous that meant so much to everyone die just like that? He was more than a coach; he was a brother and a best friend who always watched out for me. He was the sort of guy who cared for everyone else and lived for the moment. His life brought such joy to mine and I am a much better person because I was lucky enough to have known George.
…That is just the start of it. A few weeks later I started to get sick. I stuck it out for a while until my lymph nodes flared up to the size of golf balls, leaving me no choice but to see a doctor. I was sure I had mono at that point because a good friend of mine had just gotten over it, but the doctors assured me otherwise. A week later I get the call; the blood test confirmed mono. Again, the doctors assured me of another false conclusion: you will get over it in a few weeks with good rest. It was depressing to be in bed all day, but every time I cried I told myself it would all turn around. I kept up that positive mind frame for a while until my boyfriend of three years became increasingly ill. The two of us moaned together on the phone in extreme pains for nights on end. After numerous doctors’ appointments and about a month of not eating, it was determined that he developed colitis, a lifelong intestinal condition. As soon as he started to feel better, a death in his family occurred followed by the death of his dog.
Four months later, I was still ridden with mono and got a spinal tap to check for other causes of my severe headaches, which was never determined. The doctor put me on medication for the headaches and I finally started getting back to somewhat of a normal life. But now, here I am writing this essay with my left foot and leg wrapped up in a purple cast and still having daily headaches. Just when I though it was over, I broke my foot falling down the stairs and am in a cast for the next six weeks, at the least. As I read the quote “People are not often changed for the better by having life easy” by Dr. Parker, hope fills me because I know this terrible year will only make me a stronger person in the future. His words give me some relief from all that has been going on in my life and makes me understand that these things are happening for a reason. I know I will not walk away form this year the same person I was going into it. I have learned so much about life and what is important: love, family, friends, and having fun. Life is too short to live it in frustration and stress and I know that I need to make the best out of every situation because things will not always go my way. Even though this rough year is not over, I know that I am strong enough to tackle anything that comes my way.
