I Define Myself by Angelique

I Define Myself by Angelique - May 2014 Scholarship Essay

When I was five years old, I was diagnosed with VonWillebrands Disease. After going through the diagnoses process of being cut multiple times, procedures that made me have nightmares, and being month after month I was taken into a room. I remember the day like it could have been two weeks ago. A female doctor was setting at a desk, while my mom, my grandmother, and myself sat across the desk in three separate chairs. My mother was crying as the doctor spouted off what this was and what it meant for me for the rest of my life. At one point the doctor said something to the effect that: "Your daughter may never be able to have children." Before she could take her next breath, me and all my five year old stubborn knowledge jump up on top of my chair leaned over her desk and pointed my small pointer finger at this woman who thought she knew me by paper files on a desk. I said something to defend my value of life. I do not remember the exact words that came out of my little mouth, but I let this doctor know that I would do all the things she just said I could not and that in fact I would have children and they were going to be twin girls.

Well the fact of the matter is that today I do not have twin girls, but I do have a six year old son and a two year old daughter, but I digress. The best educational and life in general advice I was given was in the moments after my mother and I walked out of that office. She told me never to let someone define you. Live your life to the fullest and never give up on your dreams. Someone somewhere will always say you can't but is up to you to prove to yourself that you can. So I did. In school I studied the hardest, being dyslexic made learning and expressing myself difficult but I strove to overcome any obstacle thrown in my path. Many times I threw my medical alert bracelet and at one point a necklace away because I did not want to be different, coddled, or have anyone tell me I could not do something. I played every sport I wanted to - at the terror of my mother at times, especially when I decided to play on the soccer team.

I never forgot that I define who I am and what I can do. I will never take my life for granted. I look at my children every day knowing that if I accepted not to try they would never had been born. In my strive to become the first of my family to graduate college, I have fallen and gotten back up. I have had to study tremendously and will receive my bachelors degree because I refuse to fail. One day I will look at my children and share my story of refusing to let others define who I am. My advice to them would be that life is too short to let other define who you will be. I am thankful to my mom for always letting my be myself and allowing me to be stubborn to the fact that I had medical problems that could affect my life. Thank you Mom.