“Carpe Diem” I sincerely believe that everyone one has one chance to live so they might as well live it to the fullest. I am very inspired by the people around me, and influenced to make the right decisions, so they are the ones who made me look at life this way. My sister’s close call and my inspirational grandmother are two of the most important things in my life and have made me who I am, and I believe these people and experiences will continue to help me throughout my lifetime because they have both made me realize life is a gift, and to make the most of it each and every day.

One life-changing event that I’ve endured was watching my sister get hit by a van. She isn’t only my sister, but my best friend as well. We were riding our bikes home from cheerleading practice one day when Elly, my sister, decided to speed ahead of me by only maybe twenty seconds maximum, then the only thing I saw was her purse fly up into the air and my stomach immediately dropped, I had a bad feeling and I knew that something had happened. I hurried over to see only her seemingly lifeless body lying on the pavement. I couldn’t breathe, I honestly thought she was dead, my mind started racing. What would I do without my sister? She was all I had left, I couldn’t bear the thought of living a day without her. Paramedics arrived after what seemed like hours, then rushed her to the hospital. I stayed right by her side for eleven days as she stayed in critical condition, four of those with her in a coma. It was a miracle that she lived through the night, let alone eleven days. After the day of the accident, nothing was ever the same for me, every aspect of life seemed different. I realized that she should have died, but God gave her a second chance, which most people don’t get. I realized life could end for anyone at any given minute. So I look at every moment I’m blessed with as if it really were my last.

The number one hero in my life has always been and always will be, my grandmother. She was the only person in the world I could tell anything and everything to without feeling ashamed or judged. She was always so positive about everything, even in the hardest times when it seemed like nothing would ever get better. She always reminded me that things will get better, and to look for one speck of good and it will always outweigh the bad, as long as you have something to go back to, or look forward to. It was like she always knew exactly what to say to make me laugh when I could barely smile. I am grateful that I had a woman like her to look up to while I was growing up, and when I have children, and grandchildren I will always give them the same advice she gave me. Keep your head up, stay strong, and keep moving. These are the words I think of every morning when I wake up and every night before I go to sleep. It was very hard on me when she passed away, but I try to honor her every way I can. I always try to apply her philosophy to my everyday life.

My sister and my grandmother both made me realize that life is short and precious, so live, laugh, and love every single day. I always try to make the right decisions and never let the people that mean the most to me slip away. I’ve learned how to make the most of my time, and to do exactly what I want to do without listening to anyone else’s opinions, because they have their own life to live. I feel like I have been through so much more than anyone could possibly imagine, in the past four years, and it has made me a stronger, harder individual. Even though I have had a lot of bad experiences, they have made me who I am today and I can honestly say I am happy with my life, and if my life did end today, I could say that I lived my life to the fullest, even though it has just begun.