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Saturday, March 11, 2017

"Gratitude" by Darlene C



Gratitude- an emotion we can forget to put into use. Instead, our thoughts are clouded with simple and at times senseless things in life. These distractions sometimes make us forget to recognize how lucky and blessed we are. It has happened to me countless of times, and it continues to occur.
My family; my grandmother, my mother, my father, and two sisters are the most important people in my life. They have sacrificed so much for me, giving me the opportunities they never had. They have been through everything; giving me their wisdom, their support and unconditional love. So, when the possibility of any one of them no longer being there with me became a possibility, it became one of the most frightening moments I have experienced to this day.
One afternoon near the end of 2013, I got into my mother’s car after school and looked up to see her crying. Worried, but knowing that she was trying to calm herself down, I waited to receive the news. After months of discomfort and noticeable change in my father’s behavior, the doctors discovered several masses on the left side of his brain. I sat in shock and in silence during our drive, knowing that when I got home, I was going to have to say goodbye to my father as he was going to be admitted to the hospital for more testing. Days passed by and he underwent several CAT and MRI scans, but those results led to no new discovery as to what those masses were. His health deteriorated rapidly, he was visibly thinner, his strength weakened and his quick and sharp mind slowed. Hope still lingered in our hearts, it was the last thing we could hold onto, but it began to diminish with the lack of hope the doctors had. They gave my mother two options, both showing slim chances of his survival.
It was at that moment that my naivety towards life was cleared, the people you love are not guaranteed forever. After two weeks in the hospital and a small change in the course of my father's health, he was discharged. He came home days before Christmas and we spent it with fears and worries that it would be our last one together. Days and months passed, and to the surprise of the doctors, my father began to regain his health.
Today my father thankfully is still with us, and as every day goes by my gratitude strengthens. I have not only been fortunate enough to have such an amazing family, but I have been given a second chance to appreciate them more than I did before. The thing I have begun to learn about life in these last couple of years is that every event and moment happens for a reason. That no matter what goes on, there is always something to be grateful for. Although sometimes these kinds of events may be difficult to understand, or even justify, they all have a purpose. Sometimes we forget to look for this purpose, but we just have to take the time to look around us to find it.

14 comments:

  1. I enjoyed how you incorporated your own experience with learning how show gratitude to people in your life that you really care about. It is a constant fear of mine to see my loved ones pass, so I felt as if I could connect personally to your feelings when seeing your dad sick. I am glad that your father is better now and I'm thankful for this wake up call to remind me to show gratitude for having my family alive and healthy.

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  2. Darlene, thank you so much for sharing your story which has such an important message to all. This piece inspires me to make sure to cherish those that I love, and make sure to express that gratitude towards them. Your imagery of how your father's health was deteriorating was extremely vivid which made me emotional because of the truth that you conveyed about the appearance of your father.

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  3. This piece was beautiful. I really liked the way you started off the story with the definition of gratitude because throughout the piece I was trying to see if my personality fit the description or if I've ever experienced it. I was shocked and nervous at the very beginning, and my heart sank as if I received the news when you did. I was not expecting what was to come at all. Your imagery was so clear and your choice of diction showed how you matured throughout this time in your life. I love the lesson you learned and how you showed us the importance of gratitude.

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  4. I absolutely loved this, I can feel and sense sincerity throughout piece. Your story is very touching and teaches gratitude through an example that has occurred in your life. I loved how you said "we aren't guaranteed forever,"and its true. We need to live through our gratitude and show the people we are thankful for that we do appreciate everything they do. Very good job!

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  5. Thank you for sharing this your story. I felt like I was reading a journal and that's not a bad thing. The reason why is because you did a great a job conveying your emotions during such a serious time in your life. Just like you, I believe that we should be grateful for the time we have with our loved ones. Sometimes life throws situations at us that we don't understand but there's always a reason behind it, like stated in your piece. Great job, you're so brave for sharing this (:

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  6. Thank you for sharing your story about your fathers health. I am so happy that he is better now. Without trials we would not know what joy is and that is what you went through. This entry was giving us an insight about your life as well as teaching us a lesson that we should show gratitude. We need need to be grateful for our family because we do not know how long we have with the. Good job and thank you!

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  7. We often forget to feel grateful for what we have in our quest for achieving more, and this story is one that makes its audience pause and consider what we should appreciate. Describing your experience with your father shows how important treasuring daily things we take for granted is and definitely leaves a lasting impact of the audience. Your realization of the significance of gratitude is well-expressed. Overall, this piece was eyeopening and memorable.

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  8. These are the event that will only help us to grow stronger through endurance and persistence. Thank you for sharing that journey with me, Darlene. You express such a beautiful message that should be seen by everyone. I agree with you; our time here is limited. The sentiment that we should love our hardest is such a rare trait because we lose so much of that love to materialistic things that is just goes without use. Insightful narratives, much like yours, convey so much emotion that transcends to the audience. Although I preach this, I need to learn to practice it much more. Great job!

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  9. I'm sorry you had to go through this, but it's great to know you were able to get through this with patience, perseverance, and your faith in God. I also agree with you that's important to never take the things we have in life for granted, especially our loved ones. Great job!

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  10. So glad to know you still have your father with you but I am extremely sympathetic for your family going through this. Your piece was a great reminder of how we often neglect to appreciate most things in life as they are present in our everyday lives, even as much as having clean water or the resources available. Possibly situations like this may be eased if we take the time to acknowledge or blessings and not be hit so hard emotionally/mentally when life's natural roller coasters occur. Thank you for sharing!

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  11. This story has a great message and you were able to put a lot of emotion into this piece. This is a really eye opening example about the importance of gratitude in a very well written story

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  12. Wonderful story. It highlights the idea that we should forever be grateful for what we have, because one day it might be gone. I am glad that your dad was able to make it through okay. Great job!

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  13. That was an amazing writing with a really positive message to it, I've come close to losing family and the feeling of worry and a pit forming inside you is the worst feeling. Definitely appreciate family more.

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  14. I thought it was amazing how you included your real life experiences into your story!!! It made the story feel really personal and quite enjoyable. I love the message you told with the story, and how we always have to be grateful to what we have. GOOD JOB!!

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