My Personal Narrative

It's a Friday afternoon, I plan to go to Great Wolf Lodge in an hour with my church. I see one of my friends so he says to his mom “ Hey, that's my friend” I said “Crap” So I go inside to sign in to go and see my friends just sitting in a corner on a big sofa. We are listening to music and just talking then a green bus comes.

I have lived in only one location my entire life: Edwardsville, Illinois. A peripheral suburb of St. Louis, it stands as the rare oasis of people in a desert of corn, pinned in its own personal bubble. Due to this blend of time and isolation, I developed a natural familiarity with my hometown. But, throughout my childhood, I longed to break free from the confines of the bubble and venture outward. However, this changed last summer, as I walked through Richards Brickyard, our family heirloom, that my great-grandfather, Benjamin Richards, founded over 120 years ago. I felt these childlike sentiments slip away. The bubble that had surrounded me for so long began to vanish, and the picture that it had been obscuring was slowly revealed.

My mother has helped me to understand myself, and to develop my characteristics because we have spent the majority of our lives together. One specific example would be in 2015, during an excursion to The Gower Peninsula in Wales, when, over a bonfire, we conversed about my father, and the subject of my conception came up. My mother told me that I was a mistake, because she was worried that she wouldn’t be an adequate mother, and tried abortion. This impacted me considerably, and it has made me live more in the moment because anything can happen, I didn’t feel like I was a mistake, or a failure or any of those labels, but I did realize that my time is limited, and I have to make the most of it. Another example is that during the initial split, my mother lived 5 minutes away from my house, and I would regularly make unscheduled visits to her apartment, and just talk to her. I comforted my mother, and we would talk for many hours. During that time, I hid my feelings behind my humor and

She has taught me a lot of lessons. She gives me advice on how I should act and she knows when I’m upset. She is like a second mother. I grew up with her and we are 5 years apart. She has helped me become a better person.

When I am having troubles of my own and need someone who will truly listen, she gives me great advice whether I like the outcome or not. She has guided and molded my sister and I into young ladies who know their self worth and who will not back down from anything. I have always looked up to my mother because she is strong as an ox, and by that I mean mentally, physically, and emotionally. She is simply this compared to any one I have ever met. As I have grown each day I follow her and pay attention to the things she does because one day I hope I can become at least half as great as she is. I say half because honestly, I don’t know if anything can beat

gives me advice to lead me through the journey of life. She has influenced me since I was little, and I am luckier than a leprechaun to have her as my cousin. She teaches me life lessons such as, how to be myself around others, how to cope with issues in school, and has even pushed me to make decisions that will help give me opportunities I thought I could never have.

It was just the beginning of February. The winter cold, brutal, and yet normal for the people living in Michigan. My best friend Brian, his uncle Craig, and I were driving back together from Craig’s up north cottage. Brian and I were riding passenger with Craig in his Chevy Silverado pick-up. We were coming back from the annual Perchville Polar Bear Plunge that took place in Tawas, Michigan. A lot was on my mind since it was the second semester of my senior year, and graduation was right around the corner. I had no idea what I wanted to do, or where my future would take me.

I started playing volleyball in 3rd grade. My dad wanted me to play because my sister also played. It was my first day being a 3rd grader and my dad told me I should get into volleyball. From there I wasn’t sure if I wanted to play. I watched my sister play every game and it looked like it was hard so I didn’t think I could do it.

She even helped my mother by giving her the opportunity to go to a vocational school and then to get job training and lastly help her find a job. That's when I turned to my mother and said to my mom when I grow up I want to become a professional that dedicates their lives to help other people in need and that I would be looked upon as someone they can talk to that they can trust.

It was a Saturday morning and I woke up earlier than usual. It was 8:00 and I normally wake up

My eyes fluttered open and I found myself there again. I always find myself in the same place, stuck in the exact moment of time when it all happened. I struggled to get a hold of myself. Is this a memory or am I still in Afghanistan?

I was born in Willington, CT and my family (which was only my father and mother at the time), and we lived there until right before my 5th birthday. Two days before my 5th birthday, we moved to Lexington, and I have gone to school in Lexington since kindergarden. My mother is Japanese and my father is American and he speaks Japanese more or less fluently. This meant that my first language was Japanese; even though I lived in Massachusetts I actually did not start speaking English until I was around 4 years old. My little brother, Tyler, was born a year after my family moved to Lexington. Since my brother and I are six years apart it is hard for my family to have “family days” because of our difference in interests. Tyler is a soccer player

The summer during 7th and 8th grade was the best summer that I’ve ever experienced! I had so much fun and made so many unforgettable memories with both my friends and my family. I even met a few celebrities, including Honey Boo Boo while down in Panama City, Florida! Summer has always been one of my favorite seasons because everyone can stay up late and sleep in as late as they want to. Just like everyone else, I relaxed by the pool for the majority of the summer.

It was a cool friday evening. We had just finished scrimmaging at Fisher Field, and we were all loading onto the bus. We made our way to the school and went home. I remember calling my dad so he can come and pick me up. Once my dad came around I was thinking about what my mom made for dinner, and how much homework I had to do that night. I got home safely, and started walking towards the house until I hear my little sister coming up to the door to greet me. I found it strange, as she never does this. I greeted her back, and made my way to my room to put my bag away. I made my way back downstairs to go and eat, but I saw my mom sitting there and smiling. She told me to come over and guess what she had on her lap. I had an idea to what she

Taylor stuck by my side for days. Those days turned in to weeks, then months. Now it has been 4 years. My depression is gone. She talked with me over everything and anything. Taylor did everything in her power to help me get out of my shell and claw my way out of the black hole called depression. The depression may be gone, but the anxiety that came with it is still in place. I don’t know if I will ever get over my anxiety, but Taylor is by my side helping me when she can.