I remember being about 10 years old and I began to enter that phase of my adolescent life where I took everything for granted. Remember you were a toddler? You would cry when your parents left you at the kindergarten steps. Your heart would sink when your parents would purposely hide from you in the grocery store, only to teach you a lesson not to stray far away from them. Family was important to you and all the other worries in life that adults had seemed to be silliness to you. Those days seem like they were centuries ago to me. My world changed for me years after my 10th birthday and it had nothing to do with hormones or puberty.
One Sunday morning I decided that I wanted to skip out on a family gathering because I wanted to be alone at the house and watch football. My mom had just cooked some butter beans and was getting dressed for church. I hadn’t paid her too much attention that morning; after all, I was fourteen years old and I had no desire to hang with my parents all day at some stupid family gathering. I decided to act up and tease my younger sister which resulted in her screams of “STOP,” all morning. This plan was genius on my part because my mom yelled in the background that she didn’t feel like dealing with this today and that we could stay home. Momma must not have felt good that morning because she seemed a little lethargic.
Hours after my parents left for church I got a phone call from my dad. He said that my mom got sick and that they would be home late because they were at the hospital. This really alarmed me because I didn’t her much assurance in my father’s voice. I sat there on the couch for a minute and thought to my self, what would I do if my mother died? Naw, that can’t happen! Momma will be home later and I’ll fix her a plate of butter beans, which were still simmering on the stove. I can remember a caravan of cars pulling up in front of my house around 3 o’clock that day. As family members began to poor into the house I can remember a certain stare. Nobody said anything. I asked of course in a trembling voice, “where is mom?” My aunt grabbed me and began to sob. I knew that my life had changed forever.
This was an event that has helped appreciate family and loved ones. I did not get along with my dad for years but I always think about how I could loose him without warning one day. I decided not to spend that day with my mom which was her last day here on earth. I know now that you must spend as much time with your loved ones as possible. Never take them for granted because you never know when you may loose them. You should always cherish your parents and grandparents to get as much out of them in your life as you can.
One Sunday morning I decided that I wanted to skip out on a family gathering because I wanted to be alone at the house and watch football. My mom had just cooked some butter beans and was getting dressed for church. I hadn’t paid her too much attention that morning; after all, I was fourteen years old and I had no desire to hang with my parents all day at some stupid family gathering. I decided to act up and tease my younger sister which resulted in her screams of “STOP,” all morning. This plan was genius on my part because my mom yelled in the background that she didn’t feel like dealing with this today and that we could stay home. Momma must not have felt good that morning because she seemed a little lethargic.
Hours after my parents left for church I got a phone call from my dad. He said that my mom got sick and that they would be home late because they were at the hospital. This really alarmed me because I didn’t her much assurance in my father’s voice. I sat there on the couch for a minute and thought to my self, what would I do if my mother died? Naw, that can’t happen! Momma will be home later and I’ll fix her a plate of butter beans, which were still simmering on the stove. I can remember a caravan of cars pulling up in front of my house around 3 o’clock that day. As family members began to poor into the house I can remember a certain stare. Nobody said anything. I asked of course in a trembling voice, “where is mom?” My aunt grabbed me and began to sob. I knew that my life had changed forever.
This was an event that has helped appreciate family and loved ones. I did not get along with my dad for years but I always think about how I could loose him without warning one day. I decided not to spend that day with my mom which was her last day here on earth. I know now that you must spend as much time with your loved ones as possible. Never take them for granted because you never know when you may loose them. You should always cherish your parents and grandparents to get as much out of them in your life as you can.
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