Turning Negatives Into Positives

When I was 7 years old, my father passed away in a motorcycle accident.  For years I would cry myself to sleep and ask God "Why???".  14 years later, I have found the answer to that question.

God took away my father so that I would be a stronger person.  I  knew that when my father died on that summer night that my life was going to change drastically and it was up to me whether or not it was going to be a change for the worse or for the better.  I decided that I was going to do everything in my power to make my father proud although he was no longer with me.  I graduated from High School in the top 10%, graduated from Junior College with honors and I'm going to graduate from Texas A&M University-Commerce with a 3.3 in August.  My mom and step-dad  never bothered me about grades and staying out of trouble, I guess they always trusted that I would do well.  Truth is, I have had someone that I have been trying to make proud my whole life.

Every time I want to give up, I know that he wouldn't accept that.  He overcame so much during his lifetime and I try everyday to live up to his expectations. I took something that could have made me hate the world and be sad the rest of my life and turned it into something positive.

 During my four months of student teaching, I saw so many kids that felt like the world was against them.  Not every person has that inner drive to make them want to be successful in life. I believe we should should push our youth and help them see that this world is not against them.  Help them to see the positives out of every single negative thing that they may come across.  Many people have died while fighting for the freedoms that we have today.  It's our job to make their lives not lost in vain.

Be blessed.

This post is dedicated to my father.
R.I.P. Gerald Darnell Washington