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Tuesday, August 30, 2016
"A New Beginning" by Aryelle E
March 15, 2016. The journey begins. No more stress for now on and I can focus
more on school and dance. But I was wrong. Let me take you back to December 9,
2015; the day I was told my grandma was diagnosed with cancer. Ever since that day,
no day has been a good day. I had a job and school to stay on top of and as a Junior I
couldn't have any distractions to ruin my grades that I had to keep up for my transcripts
to look good for colleges. But 2016 ruined it all.
For the first few months, my grandma was in and out of the hospital. My mom
would come home late while I was at school starting the semester struggling to focus
knowing my grandma wasn't okay. During that time I realized that she wasn't going to
get any better. No matter what the doctors gave her, I could see it in her that she was
struggling to get stronger and better. That was probably the worst pain that I could have
felt. Trying to talk about that to my mom was hard for me to say. I couldn't get the words
out and before I could say one word, I would break down and cry.
March 12, 2016. My uncle and his girlfriend flew out from Chicago to have dinner
with us. What was a fun and happy meal turned into a sad meal talking about my
grandma. After all the crying and expressing our feelings, we all decided that we can’t
see her suffer like this anymore and we knew that she wouldn't want to go through all
the torture as well. So we pulled the plug. But before we did that we told my aunt about
what was happening and that she needed to fly out on Monday to say goodbye. We
took her off of the machine on Sunday and although my grandma wasn't all there, she
was the strongest person that I know that stayed breathing until my aunt got there. I
knew she wanted my mom and her brother and sister to be together because as soon
as they all were she took her last breath leave her children together as the last image
she sees.
Although my grandma has passed, I have learned a lot about her. I can't say my
grandma was a legend because the world doesn't know her but she was. She was like a
mother to those who weren't hers. She would make friends with people so easily and
talk to them as if they were best friends since they were born. She was a really great
person that everyone loved. My grandma didn’t want to go through all the radiation and
chemo, which to me showed how strong my grandma was for only having 3 to 6 months
to live.
I also learned that even though she's not going to be here, she is still with me
wherever I go. She is looking down on me and protecting me with my grandpa. To be
honest, after her death I didn't try at all in school and in dance. But now I notice the
mistakes that I did and I know she wouldn't want me to be that way. In honor of my
grandma, I have lived everyday for her and whatever I do it's for her. Although March 15
might have been her last day on Earth, it’s a new beginning of the journey that I will
continue for her.
The statement you made towards the end of the narrative was very moving and compelling. When you said how it might have been your grandmother's last day on Earth, but a new journey that you will continue through her, I really felt the love and emotions you had for your grandmother and in a way I felt strongly connected to the experience while reading it. -Shaylen N
ReplyDeleteAlthough I have not experienced the feeling of losing a dear loved one, I can clearly see and feel the emotions you have conveyed. You vividly and effectively depict the emotions of loss and grief. Also, by stating that you will continue your grandmother's journey for her and gain strength by seeing her being strong even in her weakest moments, you show your deep love for her and that moved me the most. You did a really great job!
ReplyDeleteWow, Aryelle. Your grandma sounds like she had a lot of fight in her. I can relate to your feelings and life being affected majorly because I've lost some loved ones to cancer as well. Although we didn't have the relationship it sounds like your grandmother and you had, I can only imagine what it felt like to lose the will to prosper in school, extracurricular activities, and an occupation. I really respect your will to go on.
ReplyDeleteWow, Aryelle. Your grandma sounds like she had a lot of fight in her. I can relate to your feelings and life being affected majorly because I've lost some loved ones to cancer as well. Although we didn't have the relationship it sounds like your grandmother and you had, I can only imagine what it felt like to lose the will to prosper in school, extracurricular activities, and an occupation. I really respect your will to go on.
ReplyDeleteI've never personally experienced loss but I have experienced heartbreak. It is a hard process and I did lose motivation to do well too. You did an excellent job of expressing your process of recovery and I am inspired by this to do well again too.
ReplyDeleteI have lost loved ones before, and I commend you for being so brave to speak about them (I know i still struggle to come to terms with reality). I really enjoyed reading this piece, your descriptive language made me feel as if I had met your grandmother, and the diary style entries with the dates made the whole piece feel more personable and realistic. I thought that the way you ended your piece was very compelling, and an inspiration to not give up when something negative happens in our lives, but yo learn from it and move forward to become a better person.
ReplyDeleteIt was very moving how you were able to learn a lesson from this experience in your life. How you summarized it in the end was very well written and i can see that it was very hard for you but instead of letting it kick you down, you became a stronger person because of it.
ReplyDeleteAs someone who has also lost my grandmother, I commend you for being able to speak and convey your feelings in such a bold and courageous manner. Losing someone is such a difficult experience, but I loved how you stated "In honor of my grandma, I have lived everyday for her and whatever I do it's for her." because it shows that the connection you both shared was incredibly strong and unforgettable. The ability to remember her with so much strength is a blessing, because it lets you remember that strength to get you through every day even the hard ones.
ReplyDeleteIt is really hard to lose someone you're so close to, I can relate to this in many ways. A family member of mine was diagnosed with a cancer last year also and it was a really hard time for me as well, I can't imagine how different life would be without them. Good job with your writing and staying strong!
ReplyDeleteI feel as though there is a stigma attached to deaths and especially loosing people in ones life. However your outlook on being able to cope with a significant occurrence is extremely moving. This piece was very well executed and I bet can really be useful to uplift another person going through similar ordeals. I adore the positive outlook.
ReplyDeleteI found this story very relatable because i lost my grandma the same way. Although i didn't get to meet her, i know she was a strong woman as you explained yours. Your story was amazing and i know it isn't easy to talk about losing someone you love dearly. But you are also very strong for overcoming what has happened and thats amazing. I really enjoyed your story!
ReplyDeleteThis story really did a great job of expressing emotion. Knowing how my grandmother also passed just a few months after yours, it gave a great job connecting how one feels through these rough times. Your timeline style of writing was good for keeping me as the reader informed of certain events without getting lost. Great story!
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ReplyDeleteAlthough I don't know you personally, I can tell you are a very strong girl as well as your grandmother. This piece made me feel emotional because I can relate to it deeply. I also lost a close loved one and it affected the way I acted around others and in school, but I also learned to fight my sorrow for them. I think this piece was a great reminder to others that have lost a loved one to continue to strive for your goals they way they would have wanted you to. Loved this!
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your story. It is very brave and strong of you to share such a personal experiences with us. I thought it was very strong of you that you kept going and didn't give up on school and dance. At times life can feel as it is against us but it takes those to realize the greater good it can offer. You decided to keep pushing for your grandma and start a new journey.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing this experience with us! I have not gone through anything like this and you are very strong to go through that and still worry about school. I can relate with going through tough times at home and trying to maintain school.
ReplyDeleteSuch an incredible use of imagery and diction that really helped translate your emotions into this article. I applaud you for sharing this story and reflecting, because I can only imagine how difficult it must be. This article is so beautiful and really put me in your place, which can often be difficult to accomplish through writing. Your Grandmother would be very proud of you.
ReplyDeleteIt was such a lovely story, Aryelle. I'm glad that you felt comfortable enough to express your feelings, and share this story in such an intimate way.
ReplyDeleteFirst off, I am deeply sorry for your loss. My grandfather was diagnosed as well and I know it can be very stressful. The way you described your grandmother was inspiring, knowing that death was imminent but the only thing that mattered at that point were the only people she had left. This is how you beat cancer. Show that you are not afraid of death by not stopping the inevitable with painful, expensive and partially ineffective chemotherapy.
ReplyDeleteThis piece was really emotional and it expressed strong love and I noticed that especially in the last sentence where you mention that you will live and continue a journey for her. This is a very inspiring piece and relatable to many people. I think what you are trying to tell readers is that it is possible to grow from sorrow/pain and prevail in the end through strength/courage just like your grandmother did and just like you did. Death is something that is inevitable but your story might help some people get through it.
ReplyDeleteThis piece relates so close to me. Having my grandmother in the hospital and seeing how ill she was, and seeing the stress and worry expression my mother carried on her face everyday, was something that clouded my thoughts and gave me no motivation in school. It was very hard to push through school and I applaud you for your determination and motivation to not give up and to live everyday in your grandmother's honor.
ReplyDeleteDarlene C.
Your grandma sounds like a really nice and outgoing person. I like how you said "she was like a mother to those who weren't hers." I feel like the ideal grandma is like that. when you described her, it put a smile on my face. I like how the story was like a timeline; you took it to the past and back to the present (in the story). I'm very sorry for your loss.
ReplyDeleteFirst, I am so so sorry for your loss, that is a horrible thing to have to go through. You are so strong. How you overcame this huge obstacle is really inspiring to me. The fact that you turned your situation around and are choosing to live everyday for you grandmother is so inspiring. This is such an amazing piece, stay strong!
ReplyDeleteIt was very beautiful how you were able to convey your feelings through your words, from the overwhelming stress of your junior year, to the lessons you learned from the experience. I know the death of someone close is very hard to deal with and even harder to write about, thank you for sharing your story. it was very compelling and beautiful written.
ReplyDeleteIt was very compelling how you switched between different dates to tell your grandma's story. Your story was very easy to relate for me with how instead of still not caring about your school and dance you decided to make her your motivation to do better which I can understand because a similar thing happened to me. The way you showed how strong your grandma was to deal with it and push through was very inspirational and was amazing to be able to hear your story about her.
ReplyDeleteI haven't experienced losing someone before, but this piece hits very close to home. My maternal grandmother who passed away in 1993 similarly suffered in her last days from the crippling effects of cancer but she was known to be very generous and even helped my father's family get away from a harrowing life of poverty, may God bless your deceased loved one and guide you and your family to the right path. It's never easy losing someone you love, I hope you're able to find peace with yourself and get the right motivation to accomplish everything you want in life. Amen.
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