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Sunday, November 29, 2020

"Vulnerability" by Julianna M.

 

I was at the tender age of 14. Figuring out who I was and who I wanted to be was in the works, and quite frankly still is. 2017 and part of 2018 had a major impact on my views of life and the people around me. Unfortunately, many of us are no stranger to the vigorous process and the effects of the death of a loved one. Knowing the person has very little time left on this earth while simultaneously not knowing when that time will come is the most terrifying feeling. My grandparent’s last breaths are forever ingrained in the back of my mind. They saw the beginning of my life and I stood there, shaking in fear, and watched the end of theirs. Their house was somewhere I always felt safe and secure, but now that they aren’t there, it’s just wood and cement. I always said that their house was home but the more I think about it, the house means nothing to me anymore because theywere my home.

 

My grandma’s name was Agueda. She was the most giving person I knew. She was also equally as funny and had the best sense of humor. No matter what time of day it was, or even if she had just fed me 30 minutes ago, she always asked me if I was hungry. Since I was always at their house I would get quickly frustrated with that question, but now I wish I could tell her how much I appreciated her asking and how much I miss her cooking and how I wish I could wake up to the smell of it. Since she only spoke Spanish, her English was very broken. I used to be much better at speaking Spanish when I was younger because I was always around her. Today, my spanish-speaking skills have definitely deteriorated, which, I admit, obviously really disappoints me.

 

My grandpa’s name was Manuel. He was very patient with me and was definitely one of my best friends. He spoiled me so much and made sure I was always happy. When I was in middle school, I had a phase where I collected tons of chapsticks, lip balms, and lip glosses. He of course would take me to Target if I asked, and bought me the chapsticks and other things I wanted. In elementary school, I loved reading and would finish an entire book in one sitting. Sometimes, I would tell him that I was going to read to him and he would simply say “okay” and listen. Of course he would end up falling asleep, and be awakened by his own snoring and continued to listen until I finished reading. He took me and picked me up from school everyday until the beginning of freshman year, when he could no longer drive. He always told me how he wanted to see me drive and let me keep his car when I turned 16. He never got to see me drive. I wish I could tell him how much I truly enjoyed his company and how grateful I am to have had someone like him and know that he was there for me at all times, no matter what.

 

Their deaths have drastically impacted me and who I am today. During the span of time that I was losing them and even the months after I lost the both of them, I felt like I had to hold it all together for my mom because I saw how fragile she was. I didn’t even tell my closest friends how I was feeling and ended up isolating myself and losing a lot of them. That was definitely not the right choice to make. Not telling anyone how I was feeling and keeping it bottled up inside only made the pain harder to deal with and negatively affected my mental health. This entire experience taught me about vulnerability and that it’s not a sign of weakness, but a sign of strength. I have gotten better at expressing how I feel, but I do find myself struggling at times, which is why I’m writing this and allowing myself to be vulnerable with my class and other

classes reading this. I also learned to never take anyone or anything in my life for granted and to let the people I love and care about know that I appreciate them. So, if you still have your grandparents, go hug them, and tell them how much you appreciate them because you never know when you’ll reminisce and regret not saying certain things. If you’re feeling upset, allow yourself to be vulnerable and let it out.

22 comments:

  1. Man this is so true! I love the vulnerability you showed in this piece, I can 100% relate to the importance of allowing yourself to feel those "hard" things, it's part of being human! Thank you Julianna.

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  2. To begin, I am beyond sorry for your loss, but thank you so much for sharing such a deep experience with us, I truly admire how open you have become to sharing this. I definitely think that it is beyond important to be grateful for the people that we have while they are here, and not reminisce over things we should have done once they are gone. I love how you slowly but surely healed and became more resilient. You are stronger than you believe. Sending you much love.

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  3. Wow this was so moving with idea of death and it's impacts on a loved one. I especially loved your sentence of your grandparents seeing the beginning of your life and you now watching the end of theirs. Mainly because in a sense it's creepily true, but seeing it written out like that sort of gave me chills. This whole piece was very sweet and your realizations hold great truths that everyone should take to heart. This was very well-written, and though I am sorry for your losses, I thoroughly enjoyed reading your piece detailing your experience :).

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  4. Somehow you took a very somber and serious topic that many people turn to dread and sorrow for and instead made it reminiscent of the past. It was filled with grief to an extent but still happy for the memory. It's the equivalent of the emotion conveyed by a soft smile with a tear on your cheek. Just because It's sad doesn't mean it can't be sweet as well and you captured that. Well done. Im sorry for your loss but it'll be okay. Best of luck.

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  5. I am so sorry for your loss, but so happy that you decided to share this. I can completely relate to this as both of my grandpas passed away these past two years. I never knew how much I took for granted until they passed. I always wished that I had one last hug, one last conversation, or even one last moment with them. This piece is so beautiful and helpful to people who went through what you did. I honestly have a hard time expressing my feelings but knowing that there are others who do the same as I do and got through it shows me hope. Great Job!

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  6. I totally understand how you feel. I lost my grandma last year and it was near finals week. I never told my teachers and I continued going to school. I wish I showed my vulnerable side to them because I was struggling. Thank you for this, it made me think about my actions again.

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  7. WOW this was beautifully written, I am very sorry for your loss but I love how close you were to your grandparents and the memories we were able to make with them. This was a great reminder to us all to be vulnerable and have a close family/friend whom you can talk to because it really does help you mentally, and emotionally. -Brianna Musa

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  8. Julianna I'd love to begin with thanking you for finding the strength to share this story as well as the pain it truly put you through and am extremely sorry for your loss. It made me genuinely smile reading the small memories you have with your grandparents because it truly highlighted the little things, like taking you to target or cooking for you, that we usually take for granted. I'm so happy that you found a way to grow from this experience and wish for nothing but the absolute world for you <3

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  9. Julianna I'd love to begin with thanking you for finding the strength to share this story as well as the pain it truly put you through and am extremely sorry for your loss. It made me genuinely smile reading the small memories you have with your grandparents because it truly highlighted the little things, like taking you to target or cooking for you, that we usually take for granted. I'm so happy that you found a way to grow from this experience and wish for nothing but the absolute world for you <3

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  10. This was beautiful. I am so sorry for your loss, and I am happy that you are learning to grow. Being vulnerable can be very hard sometimes, but is also good to let others know how you feel. I wish you the best of luck.-Angela Carnalla

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  11. This is so well written and I love the personal details that you added. The stories of your grandparents were truly heartwarming and I could see how close of a bond you shared. I love the message that you included in the end as well, I think it's something that is so important to remember.

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  12. Thank you for sharing on this topic. I am so sorry for your loss. This was beautifully written and I'm glad you were comfortable to share with all of us. Again, great work!

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  13. I am so sorry for your loss and I hope you're doing well now. Your grandparents sounded like incredible people. I can tell from your stories that they truly loved you. Thank you sharing this with us.

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  14. Julianna thank you for taking time to share your sorrows with us, I know it is never easy to reminisce about those who have passed, let alone write about it in detail. Reading your paper truly made me take a step back and think about all those who are important to me and how much we seem to take the little things for granted. Thank you for sharing your strength and showing your readers that it is okay to be vulnerable, I wish you the best and offer my deepest condolences.

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  15. Hey Julianna! My heart aches for you, I've had a similar experience and I know how much it hurts too. I'm so proud of you though for being able to take away something positive that you learned from this experience! It really shows the resilience of your character. And thank you for reminding me to keep in touch with my relatives!

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  16. I really love this piece that you wrote and I am very sorry for your losses. Thank you for reminding me that it is ok to be vulnerable at times and we should reach out to others for help. Thank you so much for writing this and I'll make sure to tell my love ones how much I appreciate them daily.

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  17. Julie, I appreciate you so much for allowing yourself to be this vulnerable and share something so close and dear to you. I know it's hard reopen "closed" wounds, but I loved reading about the bond you had with your grandparents. I'm so sorry for your loss and I can't even fathom how you felt. I love you so so so much and I'm always here for you. -Drea

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  18. Your essay was written so wonderfully and beautifully. The idea of vulnerability is scary and difficult topic to talk about especially when discussing family. Your essay shows strength and power, it also allows others to know that being vulnerable is okay and talking to people is a good thing. Thank you for opening up to us. I'm so sorry for your loss.

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  19. Vulnerability is something that is so difficult to let yourself be, which makes it all the more showing of your humanity to reveal. I found it sweet the profiles you gave us of your loved ones. You shared with us who they were and what role they had in your life. You wanted to define them as people to us, not just represent them as figures for us to wonder about. Most important of all is how you shared your struggles. I and many others appreciate that you didn’t say all of your problems have since been resolved. You told us the truth: that although you may be healing and learning from your loved ones’ passing, that sometimes you do still struggle. It is comforting to know that in a time of turmoil and incalculable stress, perhaps there is someone else who’s also feeling that immense pressure. We might not share the same worries or carry the same weight but it makes us all feel a little less isolated and alone in this world. Thank you.

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  20. You show so much strength in your writing. I feel as if Ive been shown a piece of yourself. Your title did reign true throughout the writing. Thank you for allowing yourself to be this open and raw. Great job!

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  21. I really liked reading this story, I can tell you were really open in this. Which made your writing strong and different. Sometimes the topic of vulnerability is hard to open up about. You truly did well, and I am sorry for your loss. I can tell you were very close with them.

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  22. I am so sorry for your loss. I am amazed with how you were able to make this out into a light tone of reminisce, rather than regrets. Your vulnerability shows how strong you are and for you to really put yourself out in the open like that is a beautiful thing that holds so much power.

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