Laughing at the past
April 24, 2019 Uncategorized 5 comments bglover19
When I was 5 years old, my dad walked out on my mom and I without warning. We were both devastated. It sent my mom into a state of panic and she was worried about how she was going to take care of me on her own. She didn’t know how she was going provide for me and she didn’t know how she was going to quit her job to take care of me. I, being only five, thought it was the end of the world and I blamed myself for him leaving. I thought the world of my dad because he was the only male figure I had known but once he left things were hard. My mom and I look back and laugh about how different our lives could have been.
My mom and I had to move when he left so we moved to Lewiston. I went to a crappy public school where the teachers didn’t really care about the students and my mom wasn’t too happy about it so she sent me to Saint Dominic Academy. I didn’t like change then and I had a hard time adjusting but I stayed there from 3rd grade until my sophomore year in high school. I met some life long friends at Saint Doms from playing hockey and soccer with them. I don’t think I would’ve met them unless he left.
I started playing lacrosse when I was 6 on a rec team and I had no idea who any of the kids were. It turned out that some of them went to Saint Doms, so I knew some kids when I started there. My mom wanted me to play a sport to help cheer me up. I didn’t really want to play a sport but my mom insisted. I grew to love the sport and now it is my life. My step mom once said to me that I would amount to nothing in lacrosse and school and that I should just join the military. I am now ranked second in the state of Maine as a goalie and a top 100 recruit in the country, being recruited by multiple D1 schools. I look back on it now and laugh because I proved them wrong. I don’t want to thank my dad for leaving but if he didn’t, I wouldn’t be where I am today and life would’ve been so much different. Him leaving has given me so many opportunities that I wouldn’t have gotten if he was still here.
Another time I can look back about him leaving and laugh about it is when I was 14 and we were starting a new school year. My mom had sent him an email saying that I needed new school clothes and that he should help pay. He sent back and said “Maybe he should get a job and he can pay for his own stuff.” At 14, you can’t get a job in Maine and it really bugged me at the time. I was so upset with him I stopped talking to him and I haven’t spoken to him since. My mom had to start working more shifts so I could get all the things I needed for school. At one point I had to wear really old shoes that made it look like I had clown feet and I didn’t want to go to school because I didn’t want to get made fun of. I can look back and laugh because now I have multiple jobs and am paying for my own things and helping my family out.
In conclusion, people can say some nasty things like telling you you won’t make it in life but you just have to ignore them and keep moving forward. My mom always told me to keep pushing on and when you succeed at what you are trying to do you can look back on what they have said and laugh. You just have to prove people wrong; show the people who try and knock you down that you can get back up even better than before.
Photo on Foter.com
5 Comments
Amazing story, great motivation to move forward in life. I liked your use of repetition speaking on how you can now look back on it and laugh. It really emphasizes how far you’ve come and how you never gave up. I couldn’t imagine what you went through, it takes a strong individual to move past it as well as you did, nice work.
I completely understand your situation. My dad did this same thing when i was only 1 year old. it is very difficult for one parent to support their child alone. However it can be done. It just makes life so much harder and more difficult for not only the parent but for you as well. Im sorry about everything but im glad that you were able to get past it. keep pushing through and keep your head up kid!
I can relate to this story 90% because when I wasn’t even a baby yet or even known about yet my dad left my biological mother to go into to the Navy. When I was a little older she started dating this guy again and always told me that he wasn’t my father and every time I would ask her where my dad was she would tell me that he was in jail when little did I know he was out serving our country. But I eventually grew up a little bit more and by the time I was 8 I was taken from her due to unfortunate circumstances, and I got placed with my father. That was 10 years ago and ever since then my biological mother hasn’t even tried to reach out to contact me or even ask how I’m doing. But even though it may hurt my feelings a little bit I can laugh at it because if it wasn’t for her poor choices I never would’ve met my dad, and I can also laugh at it because it shows how much she doesn’t really care.
This is a great story, what happens in your life makes it who you are. My parent may have not walked out on me but even pushing one away is the hardest. Growing up with one person that you always can count on, not having that figure you have to make yourself strong. this is truely touching story.
I think it’s great that you continued your passion with sports even though you had people against you. I appreciate your drive to keep pushing forward and look where it got you. I know personally sports were an avenue to get rid of my stress and it seems like you were able to do that as well. Good for you!