E342 Monday Lit. Snapshot Christie Caron

In the summer of 2006, my dad was struck with an extremely rare illness called The Evans Syndrome, an autoimmune disease in which his own body was destroying his platelets red blood cells, white blood cells and hemoglobin. He had had this disease two years earlier and the only thing the doctor’s could think of doing was removing his spleen. When this disease came back even without a spleen, we were heartbroken because we were told that by removing the spleen he would be healed; However, after three months in the hospital, my dad was recovered and we could not have been happier!
Last year, we heard news that this terrible disease has once again stumbled upon him His platelet count was at 2,000 million per ml; whereas a normal person such as you or me will have around 300,000 million per ml. Months later, my dad finally starting to get his platelets back high and actually sticking high after multiple platelet infusions and chemo treatments. Despite the fact, I am just happy for him to be home and healthy.
When I was in seventh grade I remember traveling four hours to Indiana University to visit my inspiration and brother, Eddie, at college. Instantly, I was in love; I have told myself for six years that I was going to attend this school. My dream of attending college is not an easy road because of my father’s illnesses, my large family, and my mom working on earning her bachelor’s degree while working full time. Through the literacy snapshot, though, I have come to the realization that the books I read for pleasure, such as inspirational quotations, Bible passages, and my love for music and art is the basis of my happiness and success. I was still able to achieve my dream by reading literature I love, giving me the strength to apply for every scholarship and score a high GPA to receive additional scholarships. I believe literature that is enjoyable to the individual puts one through a series of events beginning with a love for the literacy activity, leading a sense of abandonment from who they thought they once were to find themselves
I believe that once you realize how powerful your thoughts are, you will never think negative again. I have learned through the types of literature I engage myself in that it is my dedication and perseverance that help me to achieve excellence even in the toughest emotional and physical states. I am now aware that above all, the core to my dedication and perseverance is optimism. Without optimism, nothing I have accomplished in my life would have been possible. My capability to be confident, hopeful, and never doubtful has helped me to achieve excellence. One piece of advice I really took to heart was from my cross country coach, Larry Bassett, who always said, “Once a negative thought enters into your mind, you have already lost the race.” I realize that I am able to push myself further and further in life by always thinking positive thoughts.
I won’t let obstacles get in the way of my dreams; instead, I try to see all the possibilities of a given situation, and take each setback as an opportunity to learn. There is always a way to grow from every obstacle you face, by looking at life with a positive attitude. I am able to achieve my goals, with thoughts like those of Jimmy Dean’s quote to guide me, “I can't change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination.”