This I Believe

we had to write an essay during school called the This I Believe essay and I wanted to share it with all you

            I was only 13. It was a normal day for me. I had gotten up at 4:50am, dressed myself, and called my boyfriend at 5:20am to talk to him.  It is our only time without his brother interrupting our conversation. I had gotten off the phone a little after 6 because he had to catch the bus to his school. I was getting my bag ready and headed out the door at seven to walk to school.  In math class I had been dismissed unexpectedly and then taken home. My sister and my pastor arrived shortly after, and Judy, my neighbor, was already there. They gave me some news I never wanted to hear. They told me and my sister, Savannah, had died.

            It came to the day when we finally had to leave to go to the funeral. We traveled to Florida because my dad and step-mom lived there.  My step-mom picked us up from the airport because my dad doesn’t drive.

            When we had gotten back, my sister, Madison, was in school but the youngest, Olivia was not. After a while my dad, Elsie, and I walked to the corner to pick Madison up from the bus stop. She was only about five and didn’t remember me or Elsie and she shied away from us but, she soon over the week opened up to us and wouldn’t leave my side until bed or school.

            Throughout our week there my step-mom, Jess, and my mom went shopping and planned the funeral. I was left most of the time with my thoughts. At the time they weren’t happy because I didn’t understand why such a young person could just die when they had so much more life in them. I would spend most of my time laying on the couch or on the back porch thinking about this.

            One day when my sister, Lilly, Jess, and my mom were out shopping, and Elsie was skyping with her boyfriend on the back porch, I was laying on the couch watching Nick Jr because they never switched the channel. My dad had looked over at me from his computer and asked if I was alright. For once in my life I felt like he cared. He had always called late on my birthdays or sometimes not at all. Sometimes I wondered if he even remembered I existed. It seemed right then he cared. We talked about Savannah’s death and my brothers, Lewis, death too. He was only about 2 hours old before he died.

            When it came time to leave I realized that when I left, I wasn’t the same person I was when I came. Physically, I had lost weight because I wouldn’t eat because I was sad and I felt sick. Mentally and emotionally, I realized that no one is invincible no matter how they seem, Even if they are young, Savannah and Lewis are examples of that. Savannah was only 6 and Lewis was younger at 2 hours old. And I also realized that no matter how far away from my dad I am, and even if he forgets birthdays he still loves me and he still cares for me. He always has and he always will. This I believe.