Mr. Varnell
Tram Vo’s “Laws of Life Essay”
Having a younger sibling can get real annoying at times (unless you're the only child). To all the people who have siblings... Consider yourself lucky, because the sibling who you already know that is annoying, mean, or a jerk to you; can have a crazier word meaning that's meant for something else too.
I remembered back in the year of 2000, the month of March--spring had come and I anxiously wanted to go outside to play with the other kids. But, the problem was that I couldn't go outside; because I was one of those kids that was constantly in a trapped environment of 24/7 supervision by my parents and they were invariably arguing. So, without thinking I started to sneak out of the house and told my younger sibling to come outside with me. While being outside, I told her to stay by the door while I went to get some more neighborhood friends.
Strange wasn't it? Or so I thought it was at that moment. I was only five-years-old at the time and I had a younger sibling, who wasn’t that much younger than I was. My five-year-old self, would perpetually think she’s cheerful and pestering me, in an attempt to get me mad on purpose. But everything changed, when I came back to my house. It was only a few houses down from the block. There were high school students who were playing basketball and it had bounced onto where my sister was. I told her to stay there, while I tried to inform a mail delivery guy that my sister was standing right there and that she’s about to cross.
Moments later, the mail delivery guy didn't understand what I was trying saying or explain to him; and had misunderstood me… Helicopters, police officers, ambulances, and the whole neighborhood all came out to see the tragedy of a three-year-old girl car accident. I will never forget that day where I had lost someone who I thought was annoying and weird, yet so innocent and beautiful. From that point on in my life, it had changed me and my family, completely. Life became confusing as I was growing up. I started to dislike myself as days, months, and years came by. Have you ever had those thoughts as to why you were still alive? I had repeatedly thought of those kinds of questions like, “Why am I here? Why did it have to be her? God, can you take me away instead of her? Because, I would switch spots with her if I could, any day. It’s my entire fault, if I hadn't done something like that.” Living a depressed life, I was still holding it all inside. Trying to hide the pain behind a smile, I figured out how I would find myself again, how to find happiness in my family again.
This is where I learned to accept the fact that I cannot change what has already passed, but to live with it. So, “Life isn’t about finding yourself, it’s about creating you.” –George Bernard Shaw. Reading that quote for the first time really helped me to realize that I can start over with myself in doing better. I think back to how happy she was, and would tell myself,” I think she would want me to be happy too.” I started to get my life back on track and opened up to my family and friends again. I also have learned to love the people around you and to not hold any grudges.
Therefore, before you go home and begin to pick on your loved ones. Make sure to tell them, or even show them that you love and care about them. Because, you will never know what might happened to that person in the next day.