I have experienced that being there for someone can save a life. Even in the worst struggles, having someone there for you can be exactly what is needed.
A few years ago, my aunt was diagnosed with breast cancer and she had a slim chance of survival. Everyday my aunt struggled for her life, and although it seemed as if I could not do anything to help, I tried my hardest to stay hopeful. Months passed, and during those months I was at my aunt’s bedside with her keeping her company and just being there for her to talk to. You could say that I was like a knat, never leaving her alone. The dismal future lurked over my aunt just as a layer of fog hovers over a city in the morning; this caused a feeling of uncertainty and made me view every time I saw her as the last chance I would have to be with her on earth. When I passed my day at City of Hope, the hospital my aunt was at, I did not think about the heart wrenching future that may occur, but I thought how lucky I was that my aunt was still alive. After countless months of struggling, my aunt beat breast cancer. After watching her put up such a fight, my family and I all knew she deserved to live.
When I converse with my aunt today about her past, she always emphasizes what a significant role I played in her healing. By always being there for her to talk to and staying hopeful in the midst of all the adversities, I gave her a reason to want to live and fight for survival. Looking back on it now, I realize that my little actions had a huge effect on my aunt’s ability to endure all the hardships she faced.
This event opened my eyes to the fact that sometimes being optimistic can be the best medicine. I have incorporated my belief of always being there into many aspects of my daily life. A few of these include: being there for my friends and family, talking to anyone who needs company, being a shoulder to lean on or even just letting my friends know I am here if they need me. I always have the memory of my aunt in the back of my mind, and I take the belief that it has etched in my mind along with me.