Faith
I believe that the most important thing in one’s life is faith. While this can be referred to in a spiritual manner, it does not have to be. By having faith you are seeing beyond just yourself. You are acknowledging that at one point or another you must give up all control of your life and trust that everything will be O.K. Now, this does not mean that you should quit your job and hope that paychecks magically appear in the mail. Nor does it mean that you should drop out of high school and think you’ll be able to become C.E.O. of a company. Rather, it means you must be confident enough to place your trust in another/others and believe that things will turn out just fine.
My brother, Brett, is seventeen years old. When he was just an infant, doctor’s diagnosed him with a severe chromosomal abnormality called Ring 22. He was, and still is, only the 36th case in the world, so there were no other families that my parents could talk with about his disease. He was never supposed to walk or talk. Of course this burdened my parents greatly. Yet, they maintained a strong faith in their lives and trusted that things would be O.K. Today, Brett has exceeded all doctors’ expectations. He not only walks, he runs. He doesn’t say words, but he can sure scream with delight! My family still has not given up faith that Brett will continue to grow to be more than anyone could ever imagine.
Still, as a fifteen year old, it can be especially hard having a special needs brother. I mean, it is hard enough just trying to fit in and be accepted, so when you have a brother that does not fit the “normal” requirements for society it becomes increasingly harder. Take for example when we go to the mall. I walk side by side with Brett past all the stores and am proud to be his sister. Yet, when I then see the faces and stares people give him, it hurts me. I feel like yelling at them for their arrogance and rudeness and then leaving the mall all together. However, I remind myself that I must maintain faith that everything will be O.K. So, as hard as it may be, I look them in the eyes, smile, and continue walking side by side with Brett. My faith has pulled me through.
Clearly, faith is more than just a one syllable, five letter word. It is a way of life and can bring more blessings than one could ever imagine. If you know faith, you know confidence, trust, miracles, and above all, you know happiness.