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Monday, February 3, 2020

"The Power of a Voice" By Julia L.



 Ever since I was a little girl, my mother told me that my voice could heal people. 

As I grew older, I never realized the true capabilities of my voice. Class after class, singing meant little more than just a hobby. While it undoubtedly provided me the joy and fun as with other activities, I never understood it to be so powerful as to heal others. 

But on July 21st, 2019, everything was different. After years of practice and performance, nothing could prepare me for this. I walked up to the podium in the beautiful chapel before me, and sang a song for my mom as she lay on her deathbed. 

Just moments before my performance, I thought about how I started singing. When I was in first grade, I desired to perform in my school's talent show so I could debut the talent that had been hidden for so long. After years of singing “The Little Mermaid” songs in front of the TV, I figured I had what it took to step on that stage. While everyone in the family was advising me not to "embarass" myself, my mother was different. Realizing the potential within me, she encouraged me to audition, and after a successful trial, I became the singing star of my elementary school. 

However, reality drowned this warm-hearted thought, since she was not always well. Struggling with a mental illness for almost a decade, she would disappear from my life when her illness was at its worst. However, it took me years to realize the true reasons why. For so long I was blind to her schizophrenia. All she wanted to do was conceal the darknessthat consumed her. During her final relapse, I was not going to let her get away again. I made it my mission to become her beacon of light, and instill within her the resilience needed to battle this illness, similar to how she inspired me to pursue my passion for singing. 

Months and months later, facility after facility, nothing seemed to heal my mother, but one day, I thought back to her words from the past. She told me that I had a gift and that my voice could heal people. As her illness progressed, I realized that her advice could help her too. Thus, I incorporated my special gift into the care that I gave to her, and my God I was happy to see a bit of joy and comfort enter her eyes everytime. It was instances like this when I believed in the power of my voice.
And now, as I sang to her on this day, I was able to use my gift as a way to honor her soul. Ever since I was a little girl, my mother told me that my voice could heal people, and through my performance, I proved just that; I was able to provide solace to our family and friends, as one tearful faces now showed alleviation. 

There are many things that I learned from the hardships that I faced. For starters, my performance made me realize the special healing my talents can provide for others. Though my
voice has been there for me throughout most of my life, my interests in performing arts and academics have expanded as I have matured. In the future, I plan to not limit my artistic expression to singing but also further develop abilities in dance and theatre. This repertoire will allow me to entertain others in a multitude of ways. Most importantly, adding such skills to my arsenal allows me to keep my mother close, honor her and her story, and enlighten others about the truth of mental illness. 

Her battle with schizophrenia further established my love for helping others, as it inspired me to enter a field where I can do just that. In college, I hope to further study Psychology and Neuroscience, where I can more deeply research mental illness, and hopefully create new ways that we can treat them. From here, I will gain the expertise needed to help others live a life filled with happiness and satisfaction, 

Lastly, I was able to find comfort battling my own mental health issues. Struggling with anxiety, I used to feel weak and vulnerable. I believed that my sadness, constant worries and negative outlook on life was a product of who I was, something that could not be changed. Seeing all the pain and distress my mother went through, made me realize that the way we feel is sometimes bigger than ourselves. After getting the professional help that I needed, I am now on the road to living a satisfactory life. As of today I feel more confident than I ever have before, and see a bright path ahead in my future. 

No more struggles, no more pain, only peace.

34 comments:

  1. After reading this, it is evident that you are very talented, and will achieve a lot in the future, I am sure of it. Though you have gone through many obstacles, you seem very persistent, and will continue forward. You have what it takes, and it shows, this piece was a beautiful way of expressing it. - Breana Plascencia

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  2. Your story is very heartfelt and inspirational. Your story of hardships and finding a way to express yourself through singing was amazing. You have a really great voice Julia and I'm sure your mother would be proud.

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  3. I am a singer myself, reading this brought back memories of when my uncle was about to get a very dangerous surgery that at the time we didn't know would be the end of him. All he wanted me to do was sing "I believe I can fly" for him. This was the day I learned how much my voice could affect others. As I sang all the nurses and doctors came into his room and listened. I sing with my eyes closed but it was such a lovely sight when I opened my eyes. I never seen so many crying smiling faces.
    -Dahrien Trotter

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  4. My heart sank while reading this, but you said it perfectly: "a beacon of light". We often times say that everyone has issues but to see how you have learned and are still learning from such a dramatic event is inspiring and shows your mental toughness. A great read!

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  5. You told a very heart felt story. Sharing how seeing your mother with schizophrenia really helped show you that you wanted to help people. That fact that you have a amazing signing voice and that you embrace it to bring people together is an amazing thing.

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  6. Julia, you are strong and you are beautiful. You need to know that. Thank you for sharing your story but most importantly that your story does not end here. You have taken pain and love and turned it into purpose and peace. The flashback element within your writing revealed all the emotions captured in that single event. I empathize with your loss and am so grateful that you decided to move forward and use your talents for the greater good in honor of such an important person in your life. Sending much love!

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  7. Reading this kept me thinking how something so little can be of such value and importance. Your piece expressed your different emotions throughout your life, I am glad that your mother brought out the spark she saw in you and you will always have that.

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  8. I greatly admire your ability to share your story it was very inspirational! Im glad to see that you have taken a very hard life experience and found a solution to it not just for yourself but others as well. I also really liked how you mentioned what you plan to do for the future and how your experiences have shaped that plan.

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  9. It is a wonderful feeling to share a skill you have and to make other people happy. I completely understand and will not ever forget when I first did this myself. It is a beautiful thing so continue doing it. Great writing.

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  10. My heart hurt for you while first reading this and as I continued, I grew to admire your persistence and strength while pursuing your passion of singing. You are incredibly strong for having endured what you have and using it as an opportunity for positive change. This was an overall beautiful piece.

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  11. Julia! I remember listening to you sing in middle school and reading this now years later absolutely softens my heart. You've learned to recognize your gift and utilize it as a strength given from those you love, as well as to improve, heal upon, and find yourself, which I absolutely admire. Your voice is captivating and moving, both on the stage and through your writing in and of itself. Hope nothing but the best for you and your future.

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  12. I love how you found a light to all this darkness. I sing myself and I would never forget the day that I shared my voice with my church and saw the power that it held. you found a way to conceal all those hardships

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  13. I have always found that people love to hear others sing and a song can really heal a person. Even though it is really sad what you had to go through I think it is really inspiring that you were able to help your mom through tough times with your voice. Overall, the piece was well written and made me cry because watching a loved one suffer is something no one ever wishes on anybody especially good people like you. -Isabella Patterson

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  14. I really like how you made your piece very personal and this piece as a whole was done very beautifully.

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  15. Wow, reading this truly amazed me. This piece is truly inspiring and can lift up many spirits. This deserves an A+.

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  16. Julia,
    The courage and strength that you exhibit, not just in your writing but in your daily life, is truly an inspiration for us all. Mental illness has often been misunderstood throughout time and I find it genuinely amazing that you were able to recognize how you could have an impact on your mother's life at such an early age. It is always the closest people to us that will have the largest impact and the fact that she always instilled in you that your voice is powerful and can heal people makes me feel all the more confident that you will achieve your dreams and truly leave a mark on our world. I commend you for sharing this very personal story with us. I wish you all the best of luck.
    - J

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  17. Your story was incredibly inspiring and I like how you utilized a personal experience to prove a point. Sometimes we don't value ourselves enough and appreciate all pf our capabilities and how much effect you can have in someone else's life specially of the ones that we love. And I also really liked how made understand that these experiences only made you stronger.

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  18. This was so beautifully written, I love how you were able to turn this heartbreaking situation into a future career and that you're able to still be passionate about singing. Im so sorry about your mom, and I hope you continue with all your passions in college.

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  19. Wow. What an incredibly touching story. Music can have such an amazing affect and I think its great that you are honoring your mother by continuing to heal people with your singing and performances. As someone who is also involved in the performing arts, this served as a reminder as to why I do want I do so thank you.

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  20. You have an amazing gift and an even more powerful character. Being able to walk through all these. hardships with such grace isa sign of true maturity and power and your love and commitment to singing will get you very, very far; believe your dreams and with hard work they'll become reality, good job!
    -Rebecca Clinton

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  21. Truly inspiring! Your piece brings out your personality, strength, and courage through words and I think it ties in very well with your title and piece overall. You have so much talent for the world to see and hear. Your story was very real and your emotions were clearly articulated throughout. Amazing job! -Linda Hung

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  22. This story is really inspiring in pushing and expressing the true passion of others. It's hard to get out there and be confident about yourself and this story shows how anyone can do it.

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  23. I'm very sorry to hear about the circumstances you described in your story. It's not easy seeing people you care about in that state, however, I am glad that you found an upside to it and a way to use a true gift to lighten the situation and ease everyone's spirits. I can also attest to you that you are an amazing singer and performer so I hope you know your passion for performing arts does not go unseen. -Justin Lim

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  24. Truly an amazing and moving piece. The progression of your story really keeps the reader focused and your diction is very mature. What you experienced is what no one wants to even think about going through. You went through a really tough trial in your life, and it's amazing how you let yourself learn something from your experience. Overall, an amazing piece that I could read over and over again!

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  25. I've always told you how amazing your voice is, and I'm happy that you recognize the power of your voice. I love that you have been able to see the light in your hard times. - Tyler Denton

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  26. This was a very heartbreaking and powerful piece to read. My heart aches for your loss, but I'm inspired by your strength to relive this experience and be able to share it. The power of tongue is definitely it's own super power. Thank you for sharing this pivotal moment in your life.

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  27. Julia, it was so inspiring to read about your growth through this piece! You've experienced so many ups and downs but the fact that you kept pushing shows your strength and maturity as a person. The fact that you have been able to come to this mindset and the confidence you exude about your future and your life is extremely admirable.

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  28. What a touching story, I find it however really inspirational that everyone can find something they are good at, no matter what, and improve on it to either help themself or others, it really puts things in perspective that everyone is capable of doing something, contributing to others, to loved ones, or to themself. The fact that you can fight a light in this darkness is amazing and an amazing thing. -Tom Chen

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  29. Your story was so inspirational and I really enjoyed your story. It was very personal and very well written and your voice is very powerful! never forget that. -Ariana Hernandez

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  30. I really admire your mentality, and loved the structure of this as a whole. Your talent for singing first begins as a symbol of innocence, then shifts when the subject changes, and resumes into a flashback to the past when your love for singing first began, and how it was able to impact your mother during a difficult time.

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  31. The message was phenomenal, inspirational, and so heartfelt. I loved every aspect of it, the tone of uncertainty then goes to finally showing confidence. Your passion that you have discovered truly means a lot to the people you dedicate your performances to and you structure you wrote for your post deliver the message to me very well. I appreciated every moment of your story.
    Thank you.

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  32. Julia, you’re so incredibly strong and admire how you were able to share your story as well as making an impact on your mother’s life and your own. You’ve utilized your gift that gave strength to you and formed a purpose which I can’t wait to see you achieve.

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  33. It is amazing to see the development of your story, knowing that overall you faced a situation that many people haven't even thought of as a possibility, and at a young age it is terrible to see these types of things happen, but the most important thing is seeing how you face that challenge. Stay strong! Thank you for sharing your powerful story.

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  34. Your storytelling and imagery in this piece was excellent. The reader can truly feel the love and care you had for your mom and how you guys had a very strong relationship. You are such a strong and talented person. It takes a lot to write out a story that means so much to you and pour your heart. This was a really moving piece, great job! - Yuan Maneje

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