My I Lost An Influential Person

Growing up I’ve had plenty of experiences that showed me how the world is and who I really am . Two years ago when I was 12 I lost someone who was very special to

When I was 13 I lost a very close family friend, that day is one I will never forget. He was like a second father to me; he taught me how to ride my bike, how to do a backflip on the trampoline, how to bake, all things I still use constantly. He had two kids, a boy and a girl, both which were older than me. My

Losing my mother, the most important person to me , was a life changing event that altered the way I see the world. Knowing that she is in a better place and at peace is everything I could've wanted for my mother. As me and my siblings grow older we miss her more every day. I have learned never to take someone for granted because we aren't promised forever with them. We have to make the most of who and what we

My aunt whom just so happened to be one of my role models passed away. I was devastated. Not only was I confused, but I was lost as well. A woman I looked up to was gone forever. I missed a few days of school and starting falling behind on work. It took me awhile to process my aunt's’ death. I finally realized that I have to move on. I knew that she would not approve of me being sad. I started remembering all of the positive memories my aunt left behind. I gained a tremendous amount of knowledge from her. Until this day, I carry what she taught me everywhere I go. I strive harder to make her

It is described as, “governs all types of love from parental love, to friendship, to spiritual love”(Jonas, 3). I tend to show parental love whenever someone I deeply care about needs me. One time when my cousin was sick I had helped him back to health. He was living with me from 2011-2016 because he was going to San Jose State University. He got food poisoning from a Mexican food truck because we already had Taco Bell the day before and he did not want to go back to back, which obviously was a mistake.

In 2015 my grandmother died. When I received the news I was on the couch and my mother told me “Miguel we have to talk” I was sweating because my mother was so serious and she told me that my grandmother was dead, and in that moment all I could think about was being back in the Dominican Republic, growing up with her, imagining the moments I spent in her house and the mornings that I sat in her living room, watching TV and smelling her amazing food wafting through the pass-through window from the kitchen. Then I snap back on reality and realize the future my grandmother would want for me.

A photograph can impact someone in many ways. It can cause them to see something they haven't before, it can alter their perspective, or it can compel them to reflect on their own life. A photograph that makes me think about my life, and life in general, is one that my family took a couple months ago. It depicts four generations of “Ramaeker women;” my great grandma June, my grandma, aunt, mom, my sisters, and I. This photograph means a great deal to me, it represents our memorable trip to Arizona and the time that we were able to spend with my great grandma.

The person I chose to write about is my sister Quella Jackson. She works as a supervisor at an all female facility called New Life Children’s Center in Canyon Lake, TX.Women account for 22% of people in her position (Employed 2017). Due to the nature of her work, I am not allowed on the campus and the getting a picture would be quite tricky. So while she was preparing food in their kitchen, she decided to FaceTime me and I saw an opportunity to get my picture. This photo is very meaningful to me because first, it was taken on my birthday, and two, I look up to my sister. I chose my sister to photograph because I grew up in a large family and my older sister essentially raised me.

My Grandfather died on December 5th, 2015. I was 15 at the time and I had only just started highschool as a junior a few months prior. I didn’t get to see him recently before his death, nor was I able to say goodbye to him before his passing. Instead, I got to wait patiently while the man I respected for so long took his last breath. I watched as he passed away, right in front of my eyes.

I lived with my grandmother for the first half of my life. She practically raised me. Everyone in our village would talk about how much she spoiled me. She would go out of her way to get what I needed. One day I was playing with my friends, there was food in the house but I just wanted to eat snacks. I complained and whined about it until I got what I wanted she made my uncle go all the way into the city to buy me some snacks even though I could’ve just eaten what was in the house. She was a part of me. We had so much in common. My mom wasn't unable to raise me because she was living in America.

Growing up my family was always very close. We were always together; whether it was going to church or going to the ball field. My mother raised me as a single mother. She would work a lot of hours at work and my grandparents would watch me. They would take me to school and ball practices. Where sometimes my mom could not make it, she would always tell my grandparents to tell me something

I dedicate this to my incredible parent for their love and continued support and believe in me even when at times I had none.

Throughout this whole experience I realized how lucky I am to be alive today and how lucky I am to still have my family with me and to still be able to see water without bringing up tragic memories. Overall I just realized how grateful I am to have everything that I

It was important for me to hear someone else say that their mother never said that they love them. My mother also was not an affectionate person, neither was my father much, although I can remember my father playing with us and rubbing his stubby beard against our face and tickling us at times. I never remember any play time from my mother. Yet it was shown in other ways that she loved us deeplhery. It wasn't much attention shown to me or my six other siblings. As I was growing up I just never heard "I love you" from either parents. I never hugged her until my teen years. When we would talk about things, her voice was very soft but at the same time somewhat stiff. I wander if her childhood and teen years were similar to mine. I think she had it hard since she was the oldest girl of five, and she had two children out of wedlock at a young age. If we look at those traits we are very different in raising our children and it is intentional. I hug, I say I love you, I kiss (A lot) my son as a baby, child, adolescent, and adult. Although as an adult I have noticed he gives me kisses way more often then his teenage years. I have always hugged him and he never thought twice with hugging me anywhere at anytime. That is just the way we roll with each other. In high school he was far from a perfect

My grandmother never realized the amount of favoritism she displayed caused me a terrible childhood by my relatives. I was abused verbally and physically due to jealousy of her adult children and her other grandchildren just followed the example. My father, due to his drug addiction was not respected or treated as a parent. He was not allowed an opinion, at all. They began to make claims that were false, including an opinion I had mental health issues.