The day I truly realized life is too short was on a cold Saturday morning. I was on my
way to the Glendale hospital along with my dad who had told me that my uncle had a stroke and
that he was in critical condition. The ride there was completely silent all the way through until
we were parked, when my dad told me that I had to stay strong and hold back any tears no matter
how bad my uncle’s condition was. Hospitals are a dreadful place that make me feel empty and
sorrowful inside being surrounded by the sick and the weary, a place for families to grieve or
worry for their loved ones. The pit in my stomach as soon as I walked in the cold building sent a
shiver down my spine that told me it was going to be a rough day. The head nurse that led us to
my uncle’s room had no expression, no remorse, and definitely no comfort on her blank face.
My aunt as well as my grandparents were the first faces I had seen in that entire hospital
that weren’t completely pale, but soon after I recognized their swollen eyes that were deprived of
sleep and tired of consistent crying. They forced a smile and we exchanged hugs but I couldn’t
get a single word out, all I could think about was how bad my uncle was. When they led us
inside it left a mark on me and will forever remain for the rest of my life. I stood there looking at
him, a man who once stood tall and strong, now lying feeble and numb. His right side from head
to toe was completely paralyzed and swollen, yet when he saw his brother and his nephew the
side of his face that could function managed to shine a big smile. His words were barely
understandable and in that instant I felt the urge to cry. It felt so wrong for any human to sound
so distorted and in pain. Tears started to swell in his own eyes as he began to beg my dad to
“take care of mom and pop when I’m gone” as he repeated it until his words were inaudible. He
then turned to me and told me to live my life in a way in which I will find true happiness and that
that was the best way to live. My family and I tried to comfort him telling him that he was
strong and would make it through this and that he would have a long time to live through the rest
of his life. After that the rest of the day was calm but still had it’s share of tears and us staying
there by his side talking to him and comforting him.
When it was time to leave later that day the ride home was as silent as the ride to the
hospital, except in my mind my thoughts were racing and I eventually came to a point of
enlightenment. I realized life really is too short, and can come to an end at any moment. That it’s
best for us to spend it in whatever way in which we will find true happiness. Life is too short to
worry about little things such as temporary relationships with temporary, toxic people and
instead should be focused on spending it with our loved ones. Life is too short for us to reflect on
the past. We’re better off looking toward the future and what it will bring us.
Find the shape and tell it!
49 comments:
This is a very inspirational piece! You are very strong and courageous for sharing this personal experience. You did a great job laying all your emotions out on the page through the use of imagery and vivid descriptions. I went through a similar experience this year with my grandfather and it really does open your eyes to many things. Great job Ruben!
I also came to the realization that life is too short when I suddenly lost a dear friend of mine. The use of imagery throughout this piece aided my understanding of the emotions you felt, and helped me visualize the situation you were trying to depict. I agree that we need to focus on what’s most important in our lives, and sometimes that means letting go of anything temporary. I commend you for writing about such an intimate topic, and still ending the piece on a positive note. Great job!
It was incredibly beautiful to see that you were able to find the light in an otherwise terrible situation. It takes a certain maturity to see the inevitable good and bad that can be found in every occurrence. Your attention to detail and idea to introduce the lesson with an anecdote really made the piece as effective as it was.
Your story goes into great detail about how one may feel when a loved when is seriously injured. It shows people a new outlook on life especially when the person is a family member. Great job.
I know how you feel Ruben. Seeing Uncle Luis like that was really hard but he still managed to talk and smile. It sucked too since he was stuck in the hospital for the holidays which made it harder for everyone. The good thing is that he recovered and seems like the old Luis. I am glad that you talked about a family experience that might hit hard for some people that have also experienced this. But good job on the piece and with the details!
The overall message of this story is something I stress every day! I like how you transitioned from your uncle's situation to your conclusion. The detail in this story is amazing. Talking about an experience like this must have been hard but you did it in a great way!
Thank you for sharing this piece! I have never been in a situation like this but I hear other peoples stories. You wrote emotions clearly and were very descriptive while describing the situation. Also, I commend you for writing this and sharing your experience with everyone. Sometimes writing your emotions help you cope with the situation and I hope it did in your case.
It is the natural inclination of mankind to perceive things in the short run. Like you brought up, many keep themselves in toxic relationships or continue to interact with fake people just out of the convenience of everyone, but it is only a matter of time before poison kills a person. Your story withheld so much powerful emotion, that it was easy for me to grasp a hold of your story and the message that you conveyed in which we must appreciate the good and rid the bad.
This piece was so good I loved how I was able to feel all of the emotions in this piece and to actually connect to what you were feeling and saying. This made me really realize that life is really to short to stress over the littlest things
The overall message of the piece should be noted to everyone striving for their own happiness. Everybody should find their own true happiness and cut off the things bringing them down. Thank you for sharing this story man and I hope that you achieve your goals in life.
This piece was both thought provoking and emotional. It's great that you had the strength to share such a personal story, not everyone has had that moment that triggers, "life is to short" but by you writing this, you may have helped someone realize this before it is too late for them. Great job!
I agree that life is too short. Many people don't reaize till al ife was lost or till they finally emerge from terrible friendships/relationships. Personally knowing what it feels like to loose a loved one, you're experience feels awfully similar to mine. the way you described your feelings and emotions helped me put into words the way i had felt all along. I think you did a great job.
I'm sorry you and your family had to go through this, I can firmly agree that life is too short and precious for us to waste our time with senseless people and people who don't care about us. With that being said it is very important to find our happiness in life, personally speaking the only happiness I've had in life is through praying to God and trying to better myself, by no means are we perfect but we always need to make the best out of any situation. Great job for expressing yourself in an understandable yet philosophically important way.
Ruben this was a really great piece. You expressed your emotions very well through the detailed descriptions you used and its amazing that you were able to find the good in something as traumatizing as that, especially when you're really close to your family. Great job.
Ruben this story is very touching and something I think everyone can relate to. I've been fortunate enough to never have to experience the death of someone close to me so I cant comprehend how you found the light in something so dark. I think this lesson is a universal one that everyone needs to hear because it is 100% true. Your experience shows that even in someone younger, the idea that life is too short to hold grudges is clear. This overall was a very good story that had a message that not enough people understand and practice.
What a great message from something tragic that has happened to you Ruben. I've personally had an experience like this when my little brother received surgery and I was in a position where it came out of nowhere and didn't expect something that terrible could've happened to my family. Thank you for sharing your experience Ruben, I really felt in your position with all the description and emotion put into your work. Great work!
I read this and found myself believing I had wrote it because it is so scary familiar. You mentioned everything I was thinking, the things I was feeling, and the awful moment in which I saw my grandma lying there a completely different person than the one I had seen the day before hit me again. You realize many things in moments like these but its important to be strong. My grandma also had a stroke and is okay for now but it has been a hard few years. I hope all is well and I genuinely appreciate you sharing this experience.
This was very moving. The description of the hospital is something I relate to, hospitals give an uncomfortable feeling. Also the message you give is very important. It is important for us to live life to the fullest because at any time it can be taken away from us.
The imagery that you used for the audience to be able to feel the situation. It reminded me of the time I visted my mother in the hospital after she had a stroke and was very sick, I didn't really know what to say or how to act in that koment i just smiled, so she knew that everything was going to be okay. You captured the mood of a hospital perfectly; it is a very chilling and uneasy environment. I appreciate that you chose this topic because we need to be reminded to care and think about our loved ones.
It is a pleasure you are able to share such a dramatic story to us. The imagery and emotion displayed in the piece is very strong at highlighting your main motive to writing. Great piece!
This excerpt was beautiful, Ruban. I completely agree that we have to continue to look forward into our futures and live life like there's no tommarrow, because no day is promised. I send my regards to your family.
Ruben, thank you so much for sharing your story with us. It just shows strong and how much you have grown by going through this struggle in your life. The message that you conveyed through your writing has made me sure to look at life in a different way and never take a moment for granted not matter how small we think it is.
This piece is something that all of us can or will be able to relate to at one point or another. Your use of diction and imagery helped us be able to really see how you were feeling. Watching family go through something like this creates such a sense of vulnerability, thank you for sharing this with all of us!
This was a very touching story. I find it admirable that you took away a very good moral lesson to live life in the best way from this event instead of letting it put you down entirely. Your writing was also very well done with the diction and imagery standing out most.
Thank you for sharing this. I'm glad you could find some sort of meaning out of a really difficult situation. Your piece was great. Good job!
This story was absolutely stunning. It's great that you took such a sad moment in your life and turned it into lesson to live your life by. I completely agree with the message being sent and you delivered it flawlessly. Nice job!
Thank you for sharing such a powerful message along with such a meaningful story. Thank you for having the courage to share such an experience with us, and I would like to say that the way you worded things really made me feel emotional. The diction, the tone, and the imagery present within your words are what really make this story powerful, and I cannot explain how important it is that people see this message. Great job!
This piece is really emotional and thank you for sharing. I really liked how you mentioned the contrast you saw in your uncle from strong to weak seeing him in the hospital because it makes you realize that even the strongest can fall at one point and it's a heartbreaking moment. I literally felt every emotion you displayed and appreciate the fact that you learned something out of this experience.
Thank you for sharing such a powerful message along with such a meaningful story. Thank you for having the courage to share such an experience with us, and I would like to say that the way you worded things really made me feel emotional. The diction, the tone, and the imagery present within your words are what really make this story powerful, and I cannot explain how important it is that people see this message. Great job!
I think anyone who has experienced an illness or death within their family can relate to this piece. The description of the hospital and the imagery you used helped me really picture the sorrowful day. I think you have to look at the positive that you had a new outlook on life when you left and that's what's important.
This piece was really touching as you talked about the passing of your Uncle and it's effect on you. I 100% agree with you on fact that "Life is too short to worry about little things such as temporary relationships with temporary, toxic people." With this, I feel like we don't value life as much as we should. Thanks for sharing!
The ending truly pulled your whole piece together. It reevaluated an abstract idea as to why exactly life is too short. For some strange reason it all fit into place and made complete sense to know we need to find true happiness. Every word you said in the last few sentences spoke truth that many are blinded to and have yet to realize. Well done.
Life is the most fragile thing known to man. You never know when it might end or something tragic might happen. I also have had many experiences with losing a loved one. It is hard to deal with but it is inevitable and we have to accept it. Live every moment like its your last and cherish the ones you love because you never know if you will see them again. Thank you for sharing!
I feel like the message behind this piece is especially important in our lives right now, where many of us are teetering on that line that seperates the carefree, teenage lifestyle during high school, and the serious adulthood that's going to be the rest of our lives. I totally agree that at this point in time it's way too late to be worrying about aspects in our life that aren't important or are negative and detrimental to our way of living. Focusing on the positives and living life to its fullest is super important and something I feel like we should all be focusing on, myself included.
Wow, I really admire your strength and ability to draw back on those raw, vulnerable moments and relive them once again so we can get an idea of how you were feeling at the time. Hospitals can either be a happy or sad place, but I think everyone can agree that walking through those halls as a healthy person will make you reflect on what you have and be grateful for every moment you spend with your loved ones.
Wow dude. That's some scary stuff to read; let alone experience. I've also been in situations like that before where a family member was ill and on the possible brink of death. It's something no one should have to see but I'm glad you decided to write and share this with us.
Wow dude. That's some scary stuff to read; let alone experience. I've also been in situations like that before where a family member was ill and on the possible brink of death. It's something no one should have to see but I'm glad you decided to write and share this with us.
Wow dude. That's some scary stuff to read; let alone experience. I've also been in situations like that before where a family member was ill and on the possible brink of death. It's something no one should have to see but I'm glad you decided to write and share this with us.
Wow dude. That's some scary stuff to read; let alone experience. I've also been in situations like that before where a family member was ill and on the possible brink of death. It's something no one should have to see but I'm glad you decided to write and share this with us.
Wow dude. That's some scary stuff to read; let alone experience. I've also been in situations like that before where a family member was ill and on the possible brink of death. It's something no one should have to see but I'm glad you decided to write and share this with us.
Wow dude. That's some scary stuff to read; let alone experience. I've also been in situations like that before where a family member was ill and on the possible brink of death. It's something no one should have to see but I'm glad you decided to write and share this with us.
Although I, thankfully, don't understand this feeling, your way of words with the descriptions and your use of imagery of the hospital and your uncle helped me get a feel for what you were feeling and seeing at the time. I hope everything is well now, and I am glad you learned something from this.
Wow dude. That's some scary stuff to read; let alone experience. I've also been in situations like that before where a family member was ill and on the possible brink of death. It's something no one should have to see but I'm glad you decided to write and share this with us.
I believe that this piece is something I can relate to and that many other can relate to due to the fact that my grandmother has a stroke and it was something that really damaged our family. I thank you for having the courage to write about something personal. Great Job!!
Awesome Piece...It really pulled me in and was very enticing. The use of detail in describing your visit to the hospital on that sad day was so heavy and emotional that it made me feel as if I were in the room with you. Also, the extensive use of pathos made it very interesting for readers. Great Job!
Wow, this piece is really effective in sharing such an intense experience, the way you communicated the pain of you and your family members with such detail is amazing. I'm sorry you had to go through such an experience, and I thank you for sharing on the blog, you did a really great job discussing an event most would dare not touch while conveying a universal message relatable to all of us who have experienced loss firsthand. Thanks again.
This was a very good piece. The details you used in the story made me understand the emotions you felt. The last paragraph is an important message for all of us to follow. Good Job!
I really like the message you portrayed with your piece. Your writing style was actually very elegant and brought the ready quote to close to actually being able to experience the hospital with you. I know many of us have lost loved ones and while tough there's always something better once we choose to remember them rather than dwell on them. I too agree life is too short and it's really starting to hit me with everyone leaving for college and stuff. GREAT JOB!! I was quite by the tone of the story, I enjoyed it very much!!
Wow Man, This is so good, I am amazed, I really enjoyed how you are able to shine some light on a bad situation. Great Job Ruben
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