Pages

Monday, November 26, 2018

"Dad's Christmas" by Leslie R


December 22nd 2014, it was nearing Christmas so we packed and left for the family trip we usually always took to celebrate. I had visited my dad a week before we had left and spoken to him over the phone only a few days before. We, being my little brothers, my tia, uncle and myself, were heading to Angel’s Camp located in Calaveras County, CA. The trip took a few hours and when we finally arrived it was later in the day and so cold, the ground was covered in a thin layer of snow, which was an awesome change from the typical scenery you get in Fontana. After a few hours of lazing around the hotel room we began to unpack the little Christmas tree and decorate the room to give it that spirited feel because we’d be staying there until the 26th then leaving. The next day we spent messing around in the snow and walking around the town heavily associated with the Gold Rush, so of course you can imagine what was plastered all over the town. Then we walked back to the hotel, made dinner, ate dinner and went to sleep. The rest of the days leading up to Christmas went similarly, snowball fights, walking, eating and sleeping. Waking up Christmas morning came with excitement because all I could think was “Heck ya, can’t wait to see what I got”, but also an uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach. It felt like when you know how bad your grades are, and you know your parent is most likely going to check and see, which is then going to lead to them clicking on a class and seeing all those missed assignments you have. You know you are going to get in so much trouble, that something bad is going to happen and you are just waiting for it to happen. Except in this case I had no idea why I felt how I did nor did I know when this “bad thing” would happen, and eventually I forgot about it and went back to ripping open my presents. After hours spent playing with my new IPad we ate dinner and went to bed. One of my little brothers and I had to share the pull out bed in the living space and my tia, uncle and other little brother got the bed in the actual room. I was on the verge of sleep when my tia’s phone rang, and because i’m so lazy I ignored it and tried going back to sleep then again it rang and again I didn’t pick it up. It happened about 2 more times after that before I decided to get out of the bed and look at it, my abuela’s contact came up and I went right into my parents’ room to let my tia know that her phone had been ringing and that it was my abuela. She called back and I went right back to bed, once again I was on the verge of sleep when suddenly I heard a shout in my ear that scared me awake, I looked around and saw no one around so I kind of just sat there looking lost. Then my tia came out of the bed room. She had tears streaming down her face, sobbing and the instant she looked me in the eyes and I just knew exactly what had happened, he was dead. Never in my life had I cried so hard in my life, it wracked through my body and made it almost impossible to breathe. My uncle came out, took my little brother to the bedroom and let my tia and I cry without disturbance. It took me hours to calm down, but the tears never stopped, not when I watched t.v to try and distract myself and not when I tried to sleep. That entire night was spent sitting on the couch doing nothing but thinking. The next morning as soon as the sun rose we were on our way right back home. The next few days passed by in a blur, just a bunch of family giving their condolences, late nights sitting up thinking about him and why it had to happen the way it did and on Christmas day. That was  THE worst day of my life and since then Christmas has not ever been the same, but it helped me become stronger. There is not much worse emotionally then losing a family member so it really did help me, especially being able to put things in perspective when it gets tough.

28 comments:

  1. Leslie, I admire you for sharing a very personal time of your life. You built up your story very well and included details and imagery that made the reader feel as if they were there. Your use of diction was easy for readers to keep up with and gave the passage a youthful innocent mood. I really like how you took what happened to you and explained how it made you a stronger person. I am sorry for your loss. Good work on the passage. -Sofia H

    ReplyDelete
  2. I'm terribly sorry for your loss, and I can't say I fully understand what it's like to really for you to understand what it's like for you to lose a loved one, but I have too, and it's hard.. Other than that, the piece was really amazing how you set up your whole piece with one little problem that you had lingering on your mind and everything all together at first seems like everything would turn out fine, save for the grades that are waiting to be seen. Later on, however, you hit us hard with a situation that's almost life changing, and I think that's what really makes it for your piece. Overa;;, this is REALLY great.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Your story was easy to follow and very detailed, it made the reader feel as if they were experiencing this event. Losing a loved one is a hard thing to go through, sorry for your loss, but I love how you explained that what happened made you a stronger person. Great job at writing your story!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I'm sorry about your loss during the most happiest time of the year. I'm glad you didn't let that bad experience affect you in the worst way and instead helped you to become better. I can feel the emotions in these writings since this story is very personal to you. I hope you have a good Christmas this year.

    ReplyDelete
  5. This is a amazing personal reflection of your life on that day. I'm sorry for your loss and I pray that God guides you through it. The Personal reflection was written perfectly in how you conveyed the story. It made me feel as if i was actually there. Very good and again I'm sorry for your loss. (Nathaniel Landeros) 12/4/2018 9:33 Am

    ReplyDelete
  6. Leslie, I am so sorry to hear about your loss. You are extremely brave to share something so personal about your life. You explained that even in the midst of a terrible event you were still able to grow and learn from it to become a stronger person.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I can't imagine how hard it was for you to go through this. Losing someone is your life is not easy, especially writing about it. The story was written very well to where the reader is able to predict the feeling you were having. I liked how you showed the growth of your mentality because it allows others who have a similar story to know that they are not alone. May your dad rest in peace.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I’m so sorry for your loss, Leslie. I actually want to thank you for submitting this piece because something similar has happened to me recently and your words were reassuring. As a reader I felt comforted that the author of a piece I was reading has felt what I have, and your patient, descriptive, and overall mature tone throughout this piece really emphasized what emotions you were feeling and how far you have come.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I am so sorry about your loss but I just wanted you to know how strong you are to have survived something like this. I lost my grandma a week before Christmas and it was heartbreaking seeing all her unopened presents under the tree. This piece really stood out to me because it shows the reality of the world. I really enjoyed how you described the uneasy feeling because i feel like that is something many students can relate to also. You did an amazing job, thank you for sharing your story.

    ReplyDelete
  10. It is not easy talking about these things regardless of the fact that we all go through it so I am proud of you for sharing. Your story was well written and can be an example for a lot of people going through the same thing. Keep your head up this holiday season. :)
    -Mackenzie Tipple

    ReplyDelete
  11. The fact that you wanted to talk about a personal event that went down in your blog says a lot about your strong character. I'm sorry about your loss but I hope you continue to do what you have to do in your life. Good job on the narration and a subtle story.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Leslie,this piece was so beautiful. I am deeply sorry for your loss but I respect you for taking the time out of your day to share a very personal part of your life with people you may not even know. Handling death is never easy but for you to take that pain and turn it into a piece like this and just be so raw with readers shows an admirable amount of strength and resilience.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Leslie, the piece you wrote brings a very emotional element to the story with the vivid imagery. I myself have been in your shoes, having to hear a loved one has died when you want to be right next to them until their last breath. I'm sorry for your loss, and I hope that you have recovered from that dreadful moment.

    ReplyDelete
  14. this was a very detailed story which made everything more vivid. i was sad to read about your loss especially during christmas but i do hope that you and your family are doing okay. this story made all these emotions come to life which is what made it very good.

    ReplyDelete
  15. I'm really sorry for you loss and my thoughts and prayers are with you and hope that you get through it. I have lost my grandfather few years back and i was totally broken as i was really close to him. I can feel the sadness as the blog is personal. You blog is really straight forward and understandable which i really liked.
    - Nufsat Khan

    ReplyDelete
  16. Leslie, I like the structure of your story, mentioning your dad in the beginning of the story foreshadows that some event will occur later. The word choices of the story makes the story simple for many to understand as well. I am sorry for your loss, to be able to write this personal story shows how strong you are. Good job!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Thank you for sharing your personal experience. I’m so sorry for your loss and I hope you get through it. The reflective aspect was very good I really felt the emotions throughout the whole thing. You are such a strong person
    -Soraya Viteri

    ReplyDelete
  18. Leslie, the way you described the sinking feeling of dread really put into perspective what you were feeling that day. You described everything vividly and clearly about a sad event. I hope you're healing this Christmas.

    ReplyDelete
  19. I admire the detail of your scenery from making this traditional Christmas trip because it captures the idea that spending this particular holiday with your family is very important. I am truly sorry for your loss during this time of the year, but I believe everything happens for a reason which, from what I read, you did not realize at first but hopefully you have now. Thank you for sharing such a personal insight about yourself.

    ReplyDelete
  20. I would first like to say that I am very sorry to hear about your loss. It's very encouraging to others to hear that someone who had lost so much could still stand and persevere through life. It may be something that is inevitable but it still is something that is truly despair inducing. Wonderful job on being able to share something that is so difficult to mention.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Leslie, I like how you used imagery to describe your unpleasant feelings of Christmas morning excitement. After that you started to describe how bad your Christmas was which truly captivated the scenery of a very mournful and tiring day. (Mayur Chhitu, Per. 6)

    ReplyDelete
  22. I so sorry for your loss Leslie, especially during this time of year. You wrote a beautiful piece on your dads behalf, made me tear up. It was super easy to follow and with very well written deal. Overall, very good job :)

    ReplyDelete
  23. Leslie I just want to say what a strong person you are and I truly admire you for sharing this because it is such a strong topic. I can't imagine what you went through but I'm so glad that that experience has made you a much stronger person than you already are.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Hi Leslie, I first wanted to say I am sorry for your loss and that by telling your story shows how strong you are. I really liked how you produced strong emotions and a clear image of what you did throughout your Christmas.
    -Karen V.

    ReplyDelete
  25. I loved how you explained your Christmas and my deepest condolences for your loss. I loved how you included details in explaining, it really gave me as the reader more of an idea of what Christmas means to you. You are strong. (Julia Avalos)

    ReplyDelete
  26. First, I just want to say that I am so sorry for your loss. It takes a lot of courage and bravery to share such a personal story and I admire your for doing so. This piece was very beautiful and well-written. Great job!

    ReplyDelete
  27. First, I just want to say that I am so sorry for your loss. It takes a lot of courage and bravery to share such a personal story and I admire you for doing so. This piece was very beautiful and well-written. Great job!

    ReplyDelete
  28. Being able to express in detail, such a sad experience and turn it into writing really does show how strong you are. This piece was not only beautiful, but very expressive, your use of detail and specific word choice made more like a conversational piece and the point of view really allows you to be in touch with you as the writer. Amazing piece!

    ReplyDelete

Remember, make your comment positive, supportive, and specific to the piece you're commenting on. No anonymous comments! :)