Brittany Wilson Ms.

Douglass AP English IV September 28 2012

Personal Statement

Many can define strength in many ways. Some can define in a physical, mental, or spiritual sense. I can define through an enduring experience that helped me find a part of me. We dont always want what we get, though we may need it. As people, we learn from the past and try to make our futures better. As people we cant always control the outcomes of situations. Strength is discovered in various forms. Strength is a characteristic that is gained. As I reflect back on my past, the unanswered question that reappears is, why must one go through so much pain and suffering to reach a point of peace and stability? There was a time in my life where I thought I had reached a peak. At that point I was doing well, I felt a calm evanescence, and stress and sadness were not a factor. At times when one is at the top one must experience a downfall. My downfall was more than a downfall. It was a tormenting pain that never goes away. The type of pain that leaves you with, why not me Death struck my family. My sister died from a mysterious medical condition. She had problems before with her kidneys but I never thought it could get that bad. After her death I felt I had to fulfill a responsibility. I was young and go with the flow Brittany. I didnt know what to do with myself, let alone my family.

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I was the child that held everyone together. I couldnt imagine my family being broken on my behalf. I knew that I must show strength; for it will reflect off of myself and into others. I excel at keeping my emotions hidden. At that moment that was the task. On the inside I was a discombobulated, emotional wreck. To keep my family going I must be the rock, I must be the one that the rest of my younger siblings can look up to for reassurance. I wasnt going to let anything break me. I couldnt stand the thought of being vulnerable. I didnt want there to be a stalemate between myself and the fifty billion outraged emotions that were bottled up. There was a change, a shift in power. I transformed during that period. My views had altered and left me with endurance, strength, patience, and a new set of responsibilities. I am shaped by my experiences from my past. I acquired a greater sense of what being an adult meant, about what being a child meant, about what being something more than what the limited expectations are of a person. I can say that I have been through a lot, but I know that is only half of what I must undergo.

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