It is astonishing that most lessons in life are not trained in school but you have to learn them by
suffering through life.
If somebody wants to major in something such as doctors, nurses, teachers, and many other
professions you go first to school and later on to college. You stay years and years there preparing
and taking all the classes that take you to be a good professional. However, there are times that there are
no schools or people to teach you how to survive. For example, if somebody in your family passes away.
Many years ago, when I was eleven years old, the biggest tragedy occurred to me that had changed
the life of my family and everybody surrounding us. I woke up a very beautiful morning in the month
of July when it happened. My mother was very sick. She had a severe chest pain and my aunt had to
run with her to the hospital, but I was not aware that it was the last time I was going to see my
mother. They kept her in the hospital and the next day when my aunt went back to the hospital to
visit her, she gave us the bad news that my mother had just passed away. At that age, I was not
prepared to understand what had happened. It was a painful experience and a lot of frustration for
all of us. We were five siblings. I was the second child. How could I tell my brothers that mom was
very sick, not only that but to tell them that mom was not there anymore and that she was dead?
All of us went to schools and colleges but we always had the same question, why is no schools
to teach children or to prepare them to survive on their own. If only there were places or
families who could prepare children for events similar like these. Preparing children as early as when
they can understand can avoid all the frustration and confution to children. They will have a remote idea that things
like these could happen sometimes to families. I am not saying that they will not suffer but at least,
they can have an idea where to turn for help when needed.
After my mother passed away, a couple months later, the tragedy of my family kept on going. My little
baby sister passed away because we didn’t know how to take care of her properly. In addition, a
year later my six years old brother died too. I felt that my life was breaking apart losing my family
and could not do anything to stop all these. I wondered why God did not take me instead of my mother
who knew how to protect us from anything or take me instead of my younger brother and sister. I had lived life
longer than them. They were only little ones who deserved to live and enjoy.
You must be wondering what happened to my father. Well, my father like any other families wanted
to give the best for his family. He decided to travel out side the country to see if he could find a
better future. He had a Visa to travel so he immigrated to U.S.A., he came leaving his family, (five
children and his wife). Now as a grown up, I wonder if that was the best choice for our family. I
believe that families must stay together and try to help each other when trouble comes, not go far
away. After he left, so many events happened to us in a short period of time and if he never left us alone he
would be able to helped us and protected from all of those tragedies. I think we did not
deserve all the sorrow and agony at a young age.
My father stayed four years away from us, before he came back to see us. The reason was that
he had only a Visa. He had to fill out a petition to immigration to apply for the "green card" and it took him four years.
We had to spend four years waiting for him to reunite as a family again. However, when the
time came, we found out that our father had decided to do a new life. He got married again and had forgotten all
about us. He came only to bring us to a new life, a new country, and a new world. Forgotten about my mom, my
brother and sister who died.
We were very excited waiting to see our father but to stay with him we had to move to NY. Coming to
New York was hard. We had to deal with lots of changes in a foreign country. We felt that we were
not able to fit in. We had to get use to a new family, a new country, a new language, all that in a short period of time.
This new life had changed him to a new man and I did not like the new dad.
When I came here I stayed with my father for three years and then I left his house because I
felt I had lost him and we were not the same. My brothers left the house after I left. Now, we are living far
away from each other and sometimes we don't even talk each other. However, sometimes, when I go to
bed I dream about my old family that I left behind in my country. When I go to visit my old house I
still see my mom waiting for me at home with all her hugs and kisses waiting to be shared. I run
desperately to receive my mom’s love but all I hug is the old spirit that fades away in a memory that I
still have. I’m still affected about my mother's death. I will never get over it and this experience
was learned the hard way, because no teachers of mine ever taught me about death and how
could it destroyed a family as it destroyed ours.
(Professor Ugoretz this is my personal narrative mm. Please before you grade it check to see if everthing is okay because I am having problems with my eyes so I can't stay for long writing I have a bad infection on my eyes. I have a note from the doctor if you need to see it. If there is a lot of mistakes please give me another chance until I get better from my eyes. Maria Mendez)
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