Changes

911. A day many Americans won’t forget. Luckily, none of my family members were involved, however from this day forward my life was forever changed.

Alex was a friend of my sister’s, a boy I did not know. The only thing I knew about Alex was where to find him, whether it be on the soccer field, in camp or around the neighborhood. Alex’s dad was a victim of the terrorism attack on the World Trade Center in 2001. A few months later his mom, named Ruth, was diagnosed with cancer. The days went on and the time went slow but Ruth was not getting better, she was getting worse. My mom sent her a note,” There isn’t anything I won’t do to make this right for you at this time. Be well. God Bless.” A few long days later Ruth passed away and just like that I had an older brother.

I believe that when one door closes another one opens.

Sometimes in life when you feel that the world is turning on you and your life can’t get worse, good things pop out. When you feel that you’ve been abandoned and will never find the light, however, the light seems to shine through. When you feel the days going by slower and there’s no point in life, something will occur on your behalf.

As for Alex, his life was gray and full of rainstorms. But he was able to find that bright shining light to take his heart and warm it. Unfortunately he lost two of the most important people in his life. However, not only did he now have 1 person to trust, but also he had a whole “new” family of 6. On my part, I now look at life a lot differently. I have learned to appreciate that life is short and anything can change in the blink of an eye.

Never give up. Life always gives second chances and for Alex my family was his second chance. There will always be ups and downs in life,however, looking at the glass half full is always the better approach to a situation. I admire Alex for the way he handled his situation and know that I will handle future situations with the most optimism. Helping hands do exists even at the worst times in life. My family was Alex’s helping hand.

I believe that when one door closes another one opens. Where there is life, there is always hope.