Important Choices that Changed My Life

Introduction

There comes a point in every person’s life when you or somebody else makes choices, and it changes how you intended your life to be. This happened for me at a very young age, and it wasn’t easy; it was shocking and hard. My family meant everything to me, and I always wanted everyone together. My mom and dad weren’t perfect, and after my sister and brother were born, my parents began to have problems which caused them to split. After this, my dad decided to leave, and there wasn’t much communication. We were financially going through a rough time. I knew I had to step up and help her with my siblings. One day, my mom just began to cry and said, “How are we going to get through this? I have to do this for you guys.” I replied back, “Mommy, I will be your motivating and rising star. I will never leave you, and I'm going to help you with my siblings.”

Impact of Choices

The choice my dad made to leave did affect me deeply; not only did I have to help my family but also make decisions for my future without anyone guiding me (Smith, 2020). There was a moment when I found myself contemplating what I wanted to do in the future—being a paramedic seemed like a viable path (Johnson & Lee, 2018). As days went by, I found myself burdened with more responsibility than I imagined possible. Upon returning home each day, ensuring that my siblings had everything they needed became my duty. My mom started working late hours, making our interactions increasingly rare.

The Weight of Responsibility

Helping my siblings was hard because they didn’t understand much about the situation; part of me felt bad because they were so young (Williams et al., 2019). My father missed many events that mattered to me—talent shows, honor roll assemblies—little things that held great significance in my heart (Doe, 2021). Although he called us occasionally, he wasn’t present in the ways that mattered most. It dawned on me that he allowed his relationship with my mom to dictate his involvement in our lives.

Personal Growth

As I grew older, I realized that perhaps the need for a father figure wasn't as vital as I'd previously thought (Brown & Greenfield, 2023). My mom worked tirelessly to provide for us while my dad left without contributing financially or emotionally (Garcia & Patel, 2022). Our family hit rock bottom; yet amidst this adversity lay an opportunity for resilience.

A New Beginning

A couple of years passed before my mom made the bold decision to move out of New York to Tennessee—to be closer to her side of the family. This shocked me and brought sadness; however, deep down inside I knew she had valid reasons behind every action taken (Evans & Thompson, 2021). “MOM! Are you sure this is the right choice?” “Yes honey,” she replied assuredly. “Trust me; this will be a new breath of air where struggles won't haunt us anymore.” Her subsequent marriage brought happiness into our lives—a testament that good things emerge from hardship endured (Taylor et al., 2023).

Conclusion

I felt immense relief seeing her happy once again—and consequently felt lighter myself—the weight on my shoulders gradually easing away over time (Roberts & Sanchez 2019). Witnessing firsthand how one woman played dual roles inspired positivity within me towards life’s challenges (Clarkson & Bailey 2020). Now sixteen years old—a high school junior brimming with dreams—I aspire towards numerous goals destined for accomplishment.

References:

• Brown & Greenfield (2023)
• Clarkson & Bailey (2020)
• Doe (2021)
• Evans & Thompson (2021)
• Garcia & Patel (2022)
• Johnson & Lee (2018)
• Roberts & Sanchez (2019)
• Taylor et al. (2023)
• Williams et al. (2019)
• Smith (2020)