From the minute we were born, our parents attempted to shield us from the horrors of the world. What is war? What is danger? The closest that we got to pain was bumping our heads against the wall.

But now that we’re driving, drinking coffee, preparing ourselves for college, and other teenage actions, our parents replace that shield of protection with real world and familial issues.

We are exposed to adversity. Not a fellow classmate stealing your crayons or Capri Sun, but serious problems that we cannot help but try to solve.

I remember when I realized that life is not perfect. I was ten years old, a mere child, still growing and experiencing life. I was informed that my mother was diagnosed with a late stage of ovarian cancer, but I had no idea what that meant. I understood to the extent where cancer had a negative connotation, but there wasn’t much I could do about it. She had to shave her head, got sick more often than not, and shed the first tears I had seen from her. This horrendous cycle of remission and diagnosing happened three times, now four.

It was never my mom’s fault, but my adversity stemmed off from her illness. Anxiety issues popped up, and flared up when she was sick. Now that I am fifteen; I realize that I was always worried about my mom’s health, stressing about duties of the household, etc. That was an
exhausting time for all of my family, but nothing compared to what my mom was going through, and my adversity and struggles were nothing compared to hers.

Now though, I look back. I look through safety-goggles of positivity, and see that even though people may face hardships in their lives, there is always a positive side and that an attitude of such can go a very long way.

On the other hand, some may argue that there is no real easy or positive side to adversity. For some, it may feel that way in the moment of hardship. Although, I am sure that there are many people who can argue that they have adapted by growing from their misdoings and the pain they
have felt.

So, I hope that people use their adversity and mistakes to grow, prosper, and look at the brighter side. Know that there is always a brighter path to follow along, always a new and better way of looking at even the worst of things.

If a friend, family member, or even acquaintance seems to be in a tough situation, do not hesitate showing them the brighter, more positive side to the issue. I know it is cliche, but it is true that when a door closes; a window opens. A window of opportunity may be the light at the end of a
dark tunnel.

Regarding oneself, is just as important to look at the positive sides of a circumstance. I, personally, aim to be the most positive person in the room, and that takes a lot of work… trust me. The fact is, though, it is very rewarding to make a negative mood a positive one, whether it be for the benefit of someone else or yourself. From what I know, a positive outlook helped both my mom and I feel emotionally better when she was sick, and still does.

I know that, because of what my mom went through and alongside all of the negative impacts it had on me, I have grown to be stronger, more optimistic, more empathetic, and have matured greatly, all because of my mother, the woman who taught me all of those things, even when she
was at her absolute worst. With a positive outlook, we can now know what war is. We can know what danger is. And now we can handle it, because we are strong.