LIFE Lessons – Essay Category First Runner-Up
University of Florida
Hometown: Palm Beach Gardens, FL

I remember the last time I saw him. It was the beginning of summer break right after second grade. My mom, brother and I went to see him at the Veterans hospital, which was about 2 hours away from home- a trip we made most weekends because we couldn’t afford to keep him in the hospital around the corner. We were going to see our dad one more time before our 3-month vacation in Colombia, South America with Grandma. Little did I know that we would be coming back about a month later to attend his funeral.

Everyone thought I was too young to understand what was going on. I was 8 years old, but no dummy. The hope I held onto for so long, was over. My dad was dead. With neither family nor financial assets to fall back on, my mother- a Colombian immigrant- struggled to maintain as normal of a life as possible for my brother and I. However, it was no easy task. All her family lived in another country, unable to provide any help or support. Any savings my parents had were wiped out following my dad’s death. Without insurance, all the fees came straight out of the pocket.

Another thing we did not have was health insurance or any kind of medical benefits. If we were sick, my mom put on her doctor’s hat and made us some kind of household remedy. Growing up, we had to be seriously ill to go to the doctor. Thankfully, for the most part, we were healthy kids.

When we became old enough to get jobs of our own, we did. At 12, I was contributing with expenses by babysitting. Throughout high school, I picked up a few different jobs. However, I knew my biggest investment was school. Studying hard and getting good grades was my only ticket to college.

It is now almost 13 years since my dad died. I’m about to start my 4th year as a broadcast journalist student at the University of Florida. To this day, my mom still works nights and weekends to help support my brother and me. She has never remarried, much less even dated. I try to stay away from wondering where I would be or what life would be like if “dad were still alive.” Maybe I would have gone to Boston University or another out of state school. Financing college would no doubt be easier- just as childhood would have been much simpler.

I am convinced everything that happens in life happens for a reason. There is no question that I am who I am because of what I’ve experienced. It’s a part of life to experience pain, as it is to experience joy after overcoming adversity. I think Mother Theresa said it best: “I know God gives us no more than we can handle, but I wish he just didn’t trust me so much.” If this quote weren’t true, I wouldn’t be here today.

Would you like to place a donation to help support the LIFE Lessons Scholarship Fund? Click here.

Share this