My Best Day Of My Life

Roosevelt once described his service in the Spanish-American War as “the great day of my life” (www.nps.com). Roosevelt’s incredible leadership ability was first put to the test and demonstrated during the Battle of Las Guasimas as he braved a hail of enemy fire from horseback and led his men to a flanking position that broke the back of the Spanish forces and sent them into retreat. Following this action, Col. Wood was promoted to General, and Roosevelt was promoted to Colonel, giving him command of the 1st Volunteer Cavalry Regiment. Las Guasimas was a defining moment in Roosevelt’s life; however the greatest of these moments was no doubt at the Battle of San Juan Heights. Pinned down by heavy enemy fire, Roosevelt mounted his horse and cried “Are you afraid to stand up, when I am on horseback,” (www.artofmanliness.com) as he charged headlong into the fire and up Kettle Hill. After taking the first hill, Roosevelt saw that the American effort on the adjacent San Juan Hill was faltering, and he once again rallied his men for one final assault on the Spanish position. The following description of Roosevelt’s action is from his Medal of Honor citation, which was awarded posthumously in 2001.

This 4th of July was the worst day of my life! I got my hand chopped off in my Dad’s meat grinder in our family store. It hurt so much that I screamed at the top of my lungs. My Dad came rushing in and told Ray, an employee, to call our doctor. When Dr. Cupernail arrived, from then on was a blur for me. I woke up in the hospital, and that was when they told me that I didn’t have a left hand any more. It seemed like I was in the hospital forever when they finally said that I could go home. From then on, I knew that my life would be different. I got home and my sister, Ellie, was like a servant to me, which was kind of nice. My mother wasn’t going very easy on me even though I had just lost a hand. She still made me work in the family business and do chores around the house. It felt like she was pushing me even more than when I had two hands! Doing daily things, like tying my own shoe, was difficult now. Also, when I was out in the public, everyone was staring at me and acting weird around me. But, I knew one thing was for sure, I was never going to be able to make the Summer League Baseball team. Although, I still wanted to practice baseball and learn how to get around playing with one hand. Eventually, I got really good with the help of a kind man who gave me a right handed glove. I learned these techniques on how to throw and catch with one hand by sliding the baseball mitt back and forth. When summer was over and school started, more and more people began to stare and ask

I cannot remember the most important day of my life. When the first airplane struck the North Tower of the World Trade Center, my mom was in her classroom with kindergarten students, looking at innocent faces and wondering how she will answer their questions. My dad’s heart sunk in his chest and clenched his wallet, where his military ID was safely tucked away. To this day, the people of America can recall where they were during the first attack on American soil since Pearl Harbor, but I cannot. I was probably taking a nap in my grandpa’s arms, wrapped in a blanket of security. He might have held me closer, rough hands tenderly stroking my hair, as the black smoke filled the television screen. If I squirmed, restless in sleep, he would have comforted me. “Shh, you’re okay,” he whispered, hoping that was not a lie.

“Life can give you a surprise even though you don’t want it” was a quote that reminded me of my petty little self on my 10th birthday. We were visiting the striking city of Miami, Florida.

Before September of my eighth grade year my life was close to perfection. I had a great group of friends. My grades were where they should be and I was getting ready to make my decision on where I was going to attend high school. Not only did I become the most happy I had ever been, the people around me were also happy. Everything was going according to plan in my life. There were no hiccups or bumps in the road of my life. At this peak, everything fell apart from there, or at least that is what it felt like.

It was an extraordinary day everyone was in their homes. it was christmas morning everyone was excited for their new presents you could here cheerful laughter of excitement. You might be wondering why I know this well let me tell you that I was the only kid who was awake from 3AM to actually see santa I waited and waited I barely even closed an eye. My childish imagination thought that santa actually existed and had the form of all the other store bought santas. I waited for Santa to deliver my bike that I had asked for this christmas.

Rain thrashed down savagely upon the roof of my candy apple red 1970 Mustang. The car was beautiful, but I never really worried about leaving it outside to get splattered. Even if I did care, it didn 't matter. The five-car garage was already packed with all of Bill 's trophy vehicles. Bill had purchased the classic for me anyway.

On a starry winter night in 2008, a call came from my father reporting that he would be making a visit to my family within the next week. Hearing this news caused chills to rush through my body. I was finally about to see my father after four long years. I was only six years old when he left. The day of his visit came and went like time in an hourglass. However, I can still recall every single detail pertaining that day and his visit. The atmosphere was filled with joy and excitement. I remember a tall, brown man walking in the house wearing an all-black suit. This style of clothing was very new to us because we’d never seen it before, but it brought a sense of professionalism. I also remember he brought us plenty of items from the U.S which appeared to us as jewels because we’d never seen anything like them. My eyes spotted some chocolate in one of the bags and suddenly there was a pleasing scent of chocolate all over the house. The chocolate had a smooth and rich taste; it was as if I had experienced the most exquisite delicacy ever known to mankind.

Everyone needs some form of escape from reality. While this varies from person to person, with the entertainment business booming, it is safe to infer that many find their comfort with movie theatres. Many of these people like to be engulfed by the story of their movie. My escape, however, comes from just being inside the theatre. There is something magical about theatres that keeps bringing me back.

Del always told me to write in a journal to record important events….as he had. I always thought it was a waste of time, but after what I’ve seen…it seems fitting. Simply put:

One day I woke up to get ready for school just like any other day. I got dressed, brushed my teeth, and walked out the door. I felt really good that day. I felt like I was floating on a cloud ready to do anything. I felt like I never did before, like I could see anything and everything. It was like nature had granted me a wish. Later that day it suddenly became one of the worst days of my life. As my parents sat me down and told me that my Grandpa had died.

As I get nearer and nearer to the place of my birth, Lisbon Portugal, I take solace in knowing that soon, Elizabeth, I shall be with you, and our children once again. There were many a time that I feared I would never see you again. I never lost faith, however, and continued to pray no matter what hardships I encountered, and the good Lord in all his power, glory, and wisdom decided that it was not yet time for me to receive His holy judgement. In those moments where it seemed that death was inevitable, the thought of your face, your beauty, and our love, kept me alive Elizabeth. For this I thank you.

ld meet someone who will always be there for me and love me for who I am. Every time I think of that day it reminds me of how lucky I am. My greatest love was to be a mother and have a loving and devoted husband who gives me support in difficult times. I wanted someone who had strength, knowledge, and compassion. This is the reason I married my husband, Sergey, who did all those things for me and more. He is a good person with great attributes. I am also grateful that I had parents who took care of me when I left to go to America. They were my support when I needed it. It was hard leaving them because I had lived with them throughout my life. My parents made me who I am today. I know they raised me well and I am thankful for all they have done. My husband's parents have given me compassion and welcomed me with open arms. For that I will always be reminded of how I should raise my children. I wanted to have a baby, which would be the greatest day of my life. When I gave birth to my daughter, Rosie, I felt as if something in my life forever changed. The day she looked at me was a day I will never forget. For a mother it was as if the world was an entirely different place. It felt like I was in heaven.

The best day in my life so far was October 14th, 2012. It was an ideal fall day. When I stepped outside the air was cold, and I could feel little hairs on my arms begin to rise, yet the warm sun, shined through the clouds to counter this sensation. To my recollection, this day was quite unique as far as typical fall weather goes. I remember the previous days being dark, numbingly cold, and rainy. The environment of this day is a symbol of when I truly defined my character. It was a time when I learned my passion. It was a time when I learned of authentic love. It was a time when my life changed forever.

This was the scariest day of my life. Well it kinda turned into weeks. Anyway, let me tell you about my most frightening experience. It all started with a really fun trip to the beach. My cousins and I were splashing around in the water and having a blast! We loved jumping in the waves and playing in the sand. We also had surfing competitions where we would see who could stay on the board the longest. It was the best week ever! It was sad to end the trip but I think I was ready to come home. What I didn’t know, however, was that I wouldn’t be home for several more weeks. I helped my parents load up the car. My sister Lily was 8 and she was having a breakdown about leaving. She too had cousins that she only saw once a year. We got in our old suburban, said our goodbyes, and left. The car ride was 4 hours! I was already tired of being in the car after the first hour, so I started counting down hours until when I knew we would be home.