What doesn’t kill me only makes me stronger

            A good friend of mine, who is a fingerprint analyst, once told me that for a person who was limbic (basically someone who does things only if the thing suits how she feels.), I didn’t show real signs of moodiness. Fingerprints are one thing, life experience is another.

            I was born into a happy family. Not overly wealthy, but my father was a really good person, who I was, and am still, very proud of. My mother dedicated her life to keep the household going smoothly, and my sister, who, despite being a tad bossy (haha), was a nice sister to have around.

            So imagine the shock we felt when my father, the sole breadwinner of the family, passed away, just 47 years old, because of a heart condition. I was still 10 years old and my sister 14. My mother didn’t have a job nor did we have loads of money when my father was still around.

            Time was tough. I think being the daughter who had so much similarity with my dad made my mom came to me whenever she needed a place to complain about the toughness of life or simply a shoulder to cry on. I grew up faster beyond my years, I think, to be someone who, some people say mature, some other say have an old soul.

I wouldn’t want to, for all the money in the world, experience the horror, the sadness and the loss I felt at the time again. But now, 22 years later, I can truly appreciate the lesson, albeit a tough one, the incident has taught me. By experiencing that, I learn how:

1. not to whine and give excuses whatever life is giving my way.
2. to stand on my own 2 feet whenever possible.
3. to be prepared for the unexpected.
4. to appreciate the small things that most people take for granted, like the convenience of going to their father whenever they’re broke.
5. to tell the people I love that I love them and how my life is better because they are around.

Life is too precious to waste away. Strive for more, but always appreciate what you have. Live life to the fullest, so by the end of the day you can say, “This is what I’ve done in my life. I’m proud of how it’s turned out to be”. Life’s good, and remember that what doesn’t kill you will only make you strong.  

USEFUL VOCAB:

wealthy             : rich

breadwinner      : the person who earns the money in a family

whine                : to complain in an annoying way

appreciate          : to understand how good something or someone is and be able to enjoy them

strive                 : to try very hard to do or achieve something

Word count : 469 words