Deming 1

Karlie Deming
Mrs. Cramer
Composition 1
22 February 2019
The challenges you face build your future.

At age nine, the lifestyle I had thought of as normal was flipped around. My mom and

dad got married when I was seven and in just two short years, life fell apart. My mother had

suffered from bipolar disorder, which is a chemical imbalance in the brain and when not treated

correctly, affects daily living. My father didn't understand the disease and spent most of his time

in the garage drinking with his friends. With both parents ignoring the disease, things got worse.

My mom went manic and everyone reacts differently while manic; my mom used to clean. She

would throw out valuables and toys she saw laying around. She slowly stopped taking her

medication and her effects had worsened. My dad never really noticed because he only came

around when she had left for work or we had a family event. Finally, my mom got fed up with

his behavior and filed for a divorce in 2012. At age nine, most kids are worried about what they

are having for lunch or what friend they are hanging with after school, but my thoughts had

matured; I had to think of whose house I was going to and what I would need to take with me.

In a matter of days, life as a typical nine-year-old changed; I had to grow up quickly and

with that I learned some important lessons. One lesson was that even with a broken background--

you can go on to have a stable and successful future; you must use those negatives to help power

your motivation of success. Another lesson was when faced with a challenge, look at the good

that comes out of it before the negatives; you will always be successful if you find good in

negative situations. Those years following my parents' divorce weren't easy and I faced many
 Deming 2

challenges, but it's important to remember someone out there is facing something much worse

and you can overcome your obstacles if you put your mind to it.

My parents offically got divorced in 2012 and they relied on me and my sister to

communicate between them, because they fought when trying to be civil, but I never lost hope

that at some point they would mature. It's now 2019 and my parents attend sporting events and

banquets and can sit and carry on civil conversations I may not have had the best start but I never

gave up and that’s how I got myself where I am today, and I will continue to pursue the things

that I see achievable to me and I will carry with me all the lessons I've learned.