In the early years of my childhood from what I could remember life had seemed to be decent. My mom was flourishing in her career at the Post Office and making an admirable amount of money, considering the fact that she was a single parent. My mom was very dedicated to ensuring that my brother and I had an exceptional life growing up. She worked what I would have liked to call insane hours. But even as kids, Derek and I understood the importance of her work ethics. We had each other and other relatives to care for us to make sure that we were never left alone or so that we didn't feel abandoned. To me life couldn't get any better then this. That was until my mother found a lump in her breast. I can recall that memory as if it had just happened yesterday. That one day, a lump that would change our lives forever , that small lump but yet so powerful and damaging that threaten to take my mother away from her children. It was like any other normal day. My mom was in the bathroom doing her normal routine when she came out of the bathroom and told Derek and I to get dressed. I don't know what made me look up that day, but I did. When I looked into my mother's eyes I knew something was wrong. You have to understand that my mother is a brave and strong woman that never expressed nor showed her emotions towards Derek and me other than her happiness. So that day when I looked into her eyes I saw nothing but pain, anger, and sorrow. At that time I couldn't quite find the words to describe what I had seen but now I know those were the perfect words to describe that look. It was terrifying, but yet she still remained so calm. Looking back on that day I don't know which really scared me the most, that look in my mother's eyes or the calmness in ... ... middle of paper ... ...ion of the Brady Bunch. Although we had fun and enjoyed it each other's company it was still a struggle for us to make ends meet. My mother took out another loan to help with some of the bills and medical expenses for all the kids. Although we had another income in the household it still wasn't enough. We had four boys in the house all of which played sports which meant non stop absorption of food. We had 4 girls and 2 adult women in the house and never ending menstrual cycles. Life at 7116 Roland Blvd was like an entire another world on it it’s on. I'll never forget those memories because even though they weren't always the best. I still believe that was one the happiest times of my life. I had become so much closer with my family overall. It was like God had put us there for a reason. Without any of those experiences I wouldn't have become the person I am today.
In the result of her brother and father near death from a car wreck, my mother had to stay strong for all the siblings and family. The grief across the family was already bad enough and it wouldn’t have gotten better if it wasn’t for my mom getting mentally strong for everybody and keeping hope. It ended up her dad being fine but as for her brother it would've been a miracle if he lived due to the accident. After his rehabilitation and him getting better the family felt great but no one thought it could’ve gotten worse. Since the car was smashed her brothers head and left him with brain problems, Charles (her brother) forgot who the family was. The doctor and the whole family went through a long process of teaching Charles who they were. Eventually he remembered everything except for everything that had happened 2 years before the car crash. This was an experience that the family was not ready for at all and luckily my mom stayed strong for
Everything is perfectly fine, everything is great, then one day it all comes crashing down and shattered pieces are left. My life would never be the same but I guess change is for the best and it forced me to become the person I am today. It’s rough to be the oldest child, especially when your mom is diagnosed with stage 4 cancer and you have 3 younger sisters that look to you for comfort when their mom can’t be there. When the cancer is spread throughout your moms body doctors can’t just get rid of it no matter how badly you wish they could. Rounds of chemotherapy only slow it down, yet it’s still there a lurking monster waiting to reappear at any given moment. Nothing can even begin to describe the fear I felt, and still have to deal with today, but something happened where I could be there for others. What would Sheridan think, or what would 8 year old Lane think if they saw me cry? I had to be Strong not only for me, but for my other family members.
Terrie is a woman that loves everyone. She is a kindhearted person and doesn’t see a dark soul in anyone. Ten months earlier, she was diagnosed with stage two breast cancer; a week after that, it turned into stage four. I took the news very hard. For several months, we shared stories, laughed together and ate potato chips, since that was the only thing she could taste and keep down with her chemo treatment. After eight months, she snuck up behind me and gave me a big hug. It was one of those hugs that held onto me emotionally. After that I never saw her again, until this moment: I broke down into tears while my friend witnessed it. I didn’t go to work that day, I stayed home making phone calls and praying that I would be able to see her one last time. My mother came home to comfort me. She got a phone call stating that Terrie was asking about me. My mother rushed us both in the little red car to the hospital. I ran up
In consideration of that event, it had always motivated me to become an ER physician, such that no one can go through what my brother had been. As well as watching the TV show “Untold Stories of the ER” and being a member of the program BEWISE (better education for women in science and engineering) it had also influenced my decisions. Another hardship I had face while growing up was when my father cheated on my mother. During that time I was still young, so for me personally it was a difficult time. The very first person who found out about my dad’s affair was me but at that time I blamed myself for that situation, I thought if I never found out about it then everything would go back to normal. However, everything around me seemed to change gradually within time; that’s when I started to have depression, I felt as though I couldn’t tell anyone. At school, I would always have to put up a facade of being happy due to feeling selfish because I knew my friends had it much harder than I do. As a result, I felt isolated from the world. Within time I felt numb to the situation, until one night my mother couldn’t handle it so that's when my mother confronted my father, everything around me
I thought for 15 years that my mother was alive, but now, hearing that she had been dead for almost my entire life, I felt deceived. I had no idea who this woman was. I felt melancholy, then I was overwhelmed with anger. I was furious at my adoptive parents for withholding the truth. She was my mother, my family, not theirs.
It was 7:30 pm, 3 hours 30 minutes after the employers left for a wedding, leaving me in their classic Georgian plantation mansion. I was taking care of their daughter ,Terry, who had just fallen asleep just as the movie we were watching, Monsters Inc., finished. She was an angel in my opinion. Most of the kids i took care of pulled my hair, ran around screaming, and never fell asleep. She was curled up in a ball with her ‘blankey” on the love seat. The house was too large for a family of 3, it was a waste of space. But for my family it would have been a perfect size. I was the second oldest of 5 kids, 2 brothers 2 sisters. My dad abandoned us when I was about 2, leaving my mother to put food on the table for 6 people. I set up a babysitting business to make extra money so i can save up for college, I would hate asking my mom to pay that much.
Imagine a person had a normal life. My mom was that person. She worked at News Center 7 as a reporter which was a job she always wanted, she also had twin daughters. Her life was great. Then one day everything changed. Life had already been hard for my mom; she was the primary caretaker of my grandmother who had been fighting brain and lung cancer for six months. In early 2003, my grandmother had a stroke. Since then my mom took care of her, while taking care of most of our family. Since my grandmother could no longer be the glue that held us together, it had to be my mom. My grandmother lost her b...
Although I acknowledged the truth my mom had spoken to me when she came to visit, I hadn’t taken certain necessary steps that I needed to take. I remember one day sitting on my living room couch. Poet was sitting beside me. He was talking to the children. I turned my head and began to cry. I could no longer hold back the hurt, fears, disappointments, and anger. The family noticed after a few seconds that I was crying. Poet tried to talk to me but I didn’t respond. He called my mom this same night. I talked to my mom a little but I mainly just listened. The next day Bri had called me. Poet had contacted her and told her what was going on. She contacted me to tell me about a counselor she knew. I took
Emptiness, confusion, uncertainty, suspense, but above all, fear. These emotions hit me like lightning, and they were definitely too much to handle for an 11 year old. Cancer, my mother said, her tone was almost mellow. I knew that she was sick, but cancer? Breast cancer, in fact, it took me a very long time to process such a short sentence. Immediately I knew it was the last day I could cry. My mother did not need a baby crying; she already had my sisters to care for, not to mention herself. That same afternoon, right after I hugged my mother and lied to myself that everything was going to be just fine, I knew I was a different person. But it was 5 years later when I realize that I had changed, when my mom came home from the doctor and for the second time I had hear she had cancer.
The last thing I would want to hear as a twelve year old girl was, “Your dad has cancer.” It was September 2011 when I found out my dad was diagnosed with prostate cancer. I was in shock and speechless as to what I should even say. I can remember my mom telling me about the unfortunate news while she tried to hide the tears behind her eyes. As a young girl I never expected a family member especially my dad to have cancer. Many questions like what would I do without my dad filled my head. I started to doubt God as to how could this happen to an amazing man. I had so many negative thoughts in my mind yet on the outside I tried to show people that I was okay.
Sometimes I wish I could just tell everyone the truth, maybe then everyone would understand. My friends would then understand why I have to work two jobs or why I am always so tired. My professors may then understand why some deadlines are so difficult for me to meet or why I am late getting to class from time to time. Maybe the community would be more giving or understanding of my situation if I told them truth. The truth that my family is drowning. We are drowning in debit. Debit accrued through medical bills from hospital stays and medicine. Would people even believe me? From the outside my family looks picture perfect, but if they only knew our true situation.
Most of my favorite memories are from being back on Peachtree. It’s mi Ama’s old house and all my close family got together to be with each other and to have a good time no matter what’s going on. I remember all the good times we had, especially when our family was bigger. It’s not the same it
It’s funny how life can change in the blink of an eye; one day you are a normal teenager and the next you become the sole caregiver to your mother who has terminal cancer. For most, other family members are there to help, but in my case, I was alone. The summer consisted of a daily routine; we woke up, made breakfast, got dressed, and drove to doctor’s appointments. I remember waking up late one morning and not only did my routine for the day change, but also my life. That morning I ran downstairs to see if my mother was ready to go and I stumbled upon her silently muttering to herself in the mirror. I could tell she was frustrated, but I was unsure of the reason, and quite honestly afraid to hear her answer. When she turned to me to ask if
Even though I clearly remember all the sanity me and my little family went through. I never wanted them to know their mother just up and disappear on them. I took a deep breath and was about ready to tell them the whole truth. They already knew too much. But right before I could speak, I became suddenly unspoken-less. They gave me this look, not a look of sadness, more like a look of pride and honor. They both huddle close to me and gave me a hug. The words that came from their mouths next. I 'll never forget
Sometimes it just takes one event to forever change your outlook on life. One such event happened to me when I was only 5 years old. My day started out as most 5yr olds growing up in the south in the late 60’s, only I was a bit different because unlike my neighborhood friends, my mom was 55yrs old. My mother gave birth to me when she was 50 years old and I was the youngest of 8 children, most of which were grown with children of their own when I came along. My mother spoiled me rotten, she was very attentive to my every demand. And I mostly demanded cereal, Rice Krispies only! My mother wasn’t very playful with me (what 55yr old would be?) but I felt her love. She would not let me out of her sight, she was always there, until one day she wasn’t. I woke up that morning in my mother’s bed as I often did, and I shook her to wake her up as I always did, only this time the shaking wasn’t working. I remember yelling for my siblings to come wake mommy up, I needed my Rice Krispies! Only instead of waking her up they began yelling and screaming and calling people on the phone. What’s going on? It’s not that serious, just get mommy up! I saw men in white shirts running into the house and then leaving with my mother on a stretcher. I didn’t