I Believe in Inner Strength

I believe in the power; the overwhelming might all people have within themselves to overcome. I believe in inner strength. I admire the courage that I feel all people possess. From an experience with a very close friend, I have learned of this strength and bravery people hold within themselves to get through and overcome potentially paralyzing events that have happened in their lifetime. From stories of people I have never met, to the stories of people whom are very close to me, I believe in the power of a human person to overcome, to forgive, and to live on.

Allie and I have been best friends since we started our first day of preschool together at the YMCA. Her life was like out of a story book; her father being the local football coach; her mom, the ultimate house wife; her brother, the star of the football team; and she, the rising young player of the varsity basketball team. However, this perfect chapter of Allie’s life suddenly came to a catastrophic end. After 32 years of marriage, her father hander her mother divorce papers only a few short days after Allie left to start her freshmen year of college. Not only did she find out about the shocking divorce, but of the affair her father had been having with one of our old basketball coaches. This devastation completely tore what was once thought of as the “perfect” family apart. However, I was wrong in thinking Allie could not overcome something like this for I have never seen a braver person in such a situation. She was able to find inside herself the courage and strength to accept what was happening and cope with the situation. She said, “I thought something so terrible could never happen to our family. But all I can do is be strong for my mom; let her know she is everything I want to be in a person.” She even mentioned telling her dad that though it would take a while she would one day be able to forgive him. I could never imagine the type of strength it would take to express such feelings about someone whom one is so angry with. However, that is the type of person Allie is; she like everyone possesses power to overcome negative feelings and unfortunate events; but she unlike so many others actually believed in that power and was able to put it to use.

Allie taught me that everyone does possess inner strength, but they must believe it. I have been blessed to never have experienced devastating events during my lifetime so far, and therefore feel the emotional strength of my best friend is something to admire and appreciate. Now, when things get difficult in my life, I will try harder to remember stories like Allie’s and not quit so easily. Allie never stops surprising me; and the strength inside of her and the rest of us will never stop amazing me either.