Everything Happens For a Reason

“Things go wrong so you learn to appreciate them when they are right, and sometimes, good things fall apart so better things can fall together.” (Marilyn Monroe) I believe that everything happens for a reason. Even after the most terrible tragedies, there are positive opportunities. With each decision I make, and each experience I endure, I learn valuable lessons. I believe that I make decisions which put me in situations that create my fate. I have endured good and bad things that I believe have all happened for reasons that are destined to be.

How can it be explained why bad things happen to good people? Five years ago, my dad chose to have a procedure done to stop his terrible snoring problem. He went in for a preoperational visit, and after determining the proper snoring procedure, the doctor continued to examine him. She found something very wrong. There was a concerning bump. After further testing, my dad was diagnosed with thyroid cancer.

I kept asking myself how and why this heart wrenching situation could happen to such a wonderful person. Fortunately, the doctor found the abnormality in an early stage, and prevented something that could have been much worse. If my dad had not made the decision to treat his snoring, the doctor would not have discovered his cancer. I believe that this series of events occurred so that my dad could continue living a healthy life. This is an example of a bad situation having a positive outcome. I know that we all have the freedom to make decisions that will impact our voyage through life.

There are also positive experiences that occur for important reasons. This past September I visited my sister at the University of Illinois. It was during the time when I was amidst the stressful college application process. While introducing me to her new college friends, the question, “So are you applying to U of I?” kept surfacing. My reply was always no. The response to this reply usually blew up into a persuasive nagging of the billion reasons why I should go there. About two hours before the application deadline, I decided I had been persuaded. After an exciting orange and blue acceptance letter came, U of I has shifted its way to my number one choice. These conversations persuaded me to make a decision. The college that I choose to attend will greatly impact what my future will look like, and therefore, that brings me to believe that getting into U of I happened to me for a very special reason.

I have come to the realization that these positive and negative situations continue to strengthen my belief that everything happens for a reason, even if that reason is unclear.