"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 darkness​ ​that 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.