A Story of Resilience
When I asked my mom and dad if they ever had to deal with resilience, they both thought of a number of similar things. They both talked a lot about how, in their work, every day they get faced with a challenge and sometimes they get harsh criticism but they still keep on going. My mom also reminded me of 4 years ago when my family went on a 4 month trip in a R.V. around the U.S. On day 12 of our trip, April 15, we got in a very bad car crash and my parents thought about cancelling the rest of the trip. We finally pulled through and finished the last 3 months of our sabbatical. I really liked this story because I could remember it, and it put my memory in a different light. Here is how it happened.
We were just leaving my aunt’s house in Pep, New Mexico and were driving to Texas to continue our adventure. We were in Tatum, New Mexico, about halfway there, my mom was driving, and it was supper hot! We were supposed to stop because it was a 4-way stop, but my mom thought it was a 2-way stop and continued driving into the intersession, where we were hit by an 18 wheeler. She was devastated. Luckily, none of us got injured, except for a few bad bruises, and neither did the 18 wheeler. Our R.V. was though! The whole front right side was smashed. We were towed to Hobbs, Texas, where it was repaired. It was the tiniest little rundown town I have ever seen! We stayed there for about 3 days figuring out the damage.
I remember Katie, my sister, and I listening in on my parents talking about if we should keep going or cancel the rest of the trip. They talked about the money and the missed time. My mom felt the worst out of all of us. She loved that R.V. and she felt stupid about being the one to make the mistake. We stayed in Hobbs for 3 days before we finally decided to just go for it. We rented a mini van and drove around Texas for about 3 weeks while the R.V. was being repaired. We picked up my dad’s mom in Odessa and went to Big Bend for about 5 days. We dropped her off back in San Antonio and went to Austin for about a week. There we saw my cousins. We also stayed at this ranch called Joe Friday’s Ranch where we were able to ride ATVs and swim. (This place was my favorite!) We then went back to get the R.V. and spent Mother’s day and about a week with my other grandparents. It all ended up working out fine. We just spent extra time in Texas, but we got to see family. The rest of the trip was just as action packed as our adventures in Texas.
I think this story shows resilience, especially in my mom because she could have just said; I give up! She got shot down but she still kept going. There are several aspects to resilience, including physical, mental, and emotional resilience. I think my family showed them all. One lesson I think my parents, Katie, and I demonstrated was retaining a positive attitude during stressful times. Just like the saying is; when life gives you lemons, make lemonade. That was the mental part. We also had showed physical resilience. After the crash everyone was sore and had bruises. After a while those went away and we were fine. And finally, the emotional aspect, we went from feeling sad and depressed, to acceptance, to how-can-we-make-it-better. The turning point would probably have been in those 3 days in Hobbs. We were stuck in our hotel because we didn’t have a car and in this little dinky town. In those 3 days we decided that we wouldn’t just go home, we would find a way to make this work, and we did!
When I asked my mom and dad if they ever had to deal with resilience, they both thought of a number of similar things. They both talked a lot about how, in their work, every day they get faced with a challenge and sometimes they get harsh criticism but they still keep on going. My mom also reminded me of 4 years ago when my family went on a 4 month trip in a R.V. around the U.S. On day 12 of our trip, April 15, we got in a very bad car crash and my parents thought about cancelling the rest of the trip. We finally pulled through and finished the last 3 months of our sabbatical. I really liked this story because I could remember it, and it put my memory in a different light. Here is how it happened.
We were just leaving my aunt’s house in Pep, New Mexico and were driving to Texas to continue our adventure. We were in Tatum, New Mexico, about halfway there, my mom was driving, and it was supper hot! We were supposed to stop because it was a 4-way stop, but my mom thought it was a 2-way stop and continued driving into the intersession, where we were hit by an 18 wheeler. She was devastated. Luckily, none of us got injured, except for a few bad bruises, and neither did the 18 wheeler. Our R.V. was though! The whole front right side was smashed. We were towed to Hobbs, Texas, where it was repaired. It was the tiniest little rundown town I have ever seen! We stayed there for about 3 days figuring out the damage.
I remember Katie, my sister, and I listening in on my parents talking about if we should keep going or cancel the rest of the trip. They talked about the money and the missed time. My mom felt the worst out of all of us. She loved that R.V. and she felt stupid about being the one to make the mistake. We stayed in Hobbs for 3 days before we finally decided to just go for it. We rented a mini van and drove around Texas for about 3 weeks while the R.V. was being repaired. We picked up my dad’s mom in Odessa and went to Big Bend for about 5 days. We dropped her off back in San Antonio and went to Austin for about a week. There we saw my cousins. We also stayed at this ranch called Joe Friday’s Ranch where we were able to ride ATVs and swim. (This place was my favorite!) We then went back to get the R.V. and spent Mother’s day and about a week with my other grandparents. It all ended up working out fine. We just spent extra time in Texas, but we got to see family. The rest of the trip was just as action packed as our adventures in Texas.
I think this story shows resilience, especially in my mom because she could have just said; I give up! She got shot down but she still kept going. There are several aspects to resilience, including physical, mental, and emotional resilience. I think my family showed them all. One lesson I think my parents, Katie, and I demonstrated was retaining a positive attitude during stressful times. Just like the saying is; when life gives you lemons, make lemonade. That was the mental part. We also had showed physical resilience. After the crash everyone was sore and had bruises. After a while those went away and we were fine. And finally, the emotional aspect, we went from feeling sad and depressed, to acceptance, to how-can-we-make-it-better. The turning point would probably have been in those 3 days in Hobbs. We were stuck in our hotel because we didn’t have a car and in this little dinky town. In those 3 days we decided that we wouldn’t just go home, we would find a way to make this work, and we did!
Life is so Good
It is amazing how two people, who have about a century age difference between them, could have the same motto. George Dawson, who died in 2001 at the age of 103, was a strong believer in the idea of life being simply good. Even with many hardships in his life, he still managed to keep that outlook throughout his life. My friend, Malia Bence, has also had a rough time, however when I see her everyday she is always smiling and has a cheerful attitude. Since learning about these two people, I have tried to keep their motto in mind and to have a positive outlook on life.
George Dawson lived through some tough times, yet he managed, with every blow, to bounce back even higher. He grew up with the challenge of being the grandson of freed slaves. He was always fighting for an equal opportunity. He didn’t have a chance to go to school and therefore never learned to read. He had to help his dad out and work instead. He talks about how his father helped him see the good things in life and even if things weren’t going well, to appreciate the little things. This motto helped him through the roughest of times. At age 16, when most kids were out playing, he was home helping with the house and younger kids. He kept working and when he turned 21, his father encouraged him to “see the world.” After 10 years of work abroad, he decided to come home. Returning to Marshall, Texas, he found that his family had moved away, leaving no clue as to their new address. He started a new life in Marshall and married an attractive lady. They went on to have 7 children. George never let anyone know of his illiteracy. He was embarrassed. When he was 98, he decided to finally learn to do what he had always wanted to do; he started learning to read. With George’s rough childhood and difficult start, it’s inspiring that he was able to overcome and have such fulfilling later years. As he says, “Trouble is out there, but a person can leave it alone and just do the right thing. Then if trouble still finds you, you’ve done the best you can.” When George was 101, Richard Glaubman helped him write his biography, called Life is so Good. With this book, he was able to share his story with the world. With his can-do attitude he has the same characteristics as my friend, Malia Bence.
Malia is someone we should all look up to. When you pass her in the hall, she always has a smile on her face. Even on a bad day she is always trying her best with a good attitude. When she was just 6, her dad passed away. This was an especially hard time for Malia and her mom. They were dealing with a devastating loss of a father and husband, while still trying to stay strong for each other. Just a year ago, her mom got diagnosed with cancer. Her mom went through treatment and is now recovering. Malia can even say she has overcome brain surgery. Last year the doctors found a Benine brain tumor blocking some canals in her brain and had to remove it through surgery. Malia has been through all this plus the everyday struggles of growing up. A lot of people find their school or friend problems hard to deal with, but Malia gets through all those and more. Somehow, using her resilience, she is able to keep that can-do attitude. I will remember to look to these two people so I can keep this attitude in my life, too.
I am one of those people who only has school or friend problems to deal with. I wish I could say I also try to keep this positive outlook on life even if it’s just about something little, but I struggle with this. I think Malia and George are two very resilient people to be able to do this. I want to do many things with my life and I know I will always be facing challenges. I will always have events or people trying to push me down, but I will take these two people’s legacies and always try to remember that life is essentially good and can be shaped by how I approach it.
It’s important that in the future we keep up their legacies and carry on this attitude of life being so good. If everyone had this outlook, the world would be a better place. People would treat each other well and be happy. First we have to change ourselves, and then we can change the world.
It is amazing how two people, who have about a century age difference between them, could have the same motto. George Dawson, who died in 2001 at the age of 103, was a strong believer in the idea of life being simply good. Even with many hardships in his life, he still managed to keep that outlook throughout his life. My friend, Malia Bence, has also had a rough time, however when I see her everyday she is always smiling and has a cheerful attitude. Since learning about these two people, I have tried to keep their motto in mind and to have a positive outlook on life.
George Dawson lived through some tough times, yet he managed, with every blow, to bounce back even higher. He grew up with the challenge of being the grandson of freed slaves. He was always fighting for an equal opportunity. He didn’t have a chance to go to school and therefore never learned to read. He had to help his dad out and work instead. He talks about how his father helped him see the good things in life and even if things weren’t going well, to appreciate the little things. This motto helped him through the roughest of times. At age 16, when most kids were out playing, he was home helping with the house and younger kids. He kept working and when he turned 21, his father encouraged him to “see the world.” After 10 years of work abroad, he decided to come home. Returning to Marshall, Texas, he found that his family had moved away, leaving no clue as to their new address. He started a new life in Marshall and married an attractive lady. They went on to have 7 children. George never let anyone know of his illiteracy. He was embarrassed. When he was 98, he decided to finally learn to do what he had always wanted to do; he started learning to read. With George’s rough childhood and difficult start, it’s inspiring that he was able to overcome and have such fulfilling later years. As he says, “Trouble is out there, but a person can leave it alone and just do the right thing. Then if trouble still finds you, you’ve done the best you can.” When George was 101, Richard Glaubman helped him write his biography, called Life is so Good. With this book, he was able to share his story with the world. With his can-do attitude he has the same characteristics as my friend, Malia Bence.
Malia is someone we should all look up to. When you pass her in the hall, she always has a smile on her face. Even on a bad day she is always trying her best with a good attitude. When she was just 6, her dad passed away. This was an especially hard time for Malia and her mom. They were dealing with a devastating loss of a father and husband, while still trying to stay strong for each other. Just a year ago, her mom got diagnosed with cancer. Her mom went through treatment and is now recovering. Malia can even say she has overcome brain surgery. Last year the doctors found a Benine brain tumor blocking some canals in her brain and had to remove it through surgery. Malia has been through all this plus the everyday struggles of growing up. A lot of people find their school or friend problems hard to deal with, but Malia gets through all those and more. Somehow, using her resilience, she is able to keep that can-do attitude. I will remember to look to these two people so I can keep this attitude in my life, too.
I am one of those people who only has school or friend problems to deal with. I wish I could say I also try to keep this positive outlook on life even if it’s just about something little, but I struggle with this. I think Malia and George are two very resilient people to be able to do this. I want to do many things with my life and I know I will always be facing challenges. I will always have events or people trying to push me down, but I will take these two people’s legacies and always try to remember that life is essentially good and can be shaped by how I approach it.
It’s important that in the future we keep up their legacies and carry on this attitude of life being so good. If everyone had this outlook, the world would be a better place. People would treat each other well and be happy. First we have to change ourselves, and then we can change the world.
Artist Statement
This piece of art is meant to honor Malia Bence and George Dawson. It represents how both of them have the same outlook on life, that life is simply good. These two people had many hardships in their lives and using their resilient attitudes, are able to keep a positive attitude. The mosaic tiles represent their hard times and how they are still stuck together and beautiful.
