The Life Saving Summer by Cheryl

The Life Saving Summer by Cheryl - July 2016 Scholarship Essay

Ella Madsen and I met during a service mission in Alabama and literally from day one, we had a connection we both couldn’t describe. One night, while talking about her life in California, and my life in Boston, we cooked up a plan to spend the summer together. We grabbed a nearby calendar, and picked a date for me to come. 
Months went by and before I knew it, I was in California!

While I was there, I developed lasting relationships with many people, one in particular was the father of the home, Greg. This man changed my life in so many ways. He is a businessman, devoted surfer, compassionate father, and an amazing listener. He would take me out surfing almost everyday, and though most of the time I was struggling to stay on the board, he was patient with me and never failed to relate surfing to a life lesson.
Life was perfect!!

A few weeks into my stay, Greg started to develop a cough. We honestly didn’t think anything of it, but as time went on it got progressively worse. He went to the doctor and they suggested getting rid of all smells in the home.
Now, just a little background on me, my family is from Liberia and homemade products was my life! As an African American, my skin and hair can get extremely dry, and the butters and oils helped to keep them soft. Of course I wouldn’t argue with getting rid of my products, but I can’t deny the fact that I felt like I was giving up a part of who I was. 

I was already out of my element, and had very little to identify myself with. As time went on, I was becoming aware that my products were what was causing his cough in the first place. The doctor suggested to Greg that once I left, things would get better. In my mind I was worried about my scents, and knowing you are causing someone else to be sick kind of stinks. It got to the point where I had convinced myself that he was literally allergic to the natural oils in my skin (aka… me). 

I was embarrassed and tried my best to be out of the home as much as possible. It was hard to communicate my reasoning behind my actions.  I started to question my purpose for even being there in the first place.

We were polar opposites, but one thing I knew for sure was that it felt right at the time to be there with them. I was out of my comfort zone A LOT. At times it was amazing, and other times, I just wanted to leave. I stood up on a surf board for the first time and finally understood why people would wake up at the crack of dawn to paddle out in the OPEN ocean and sit for long periods of time anxiously waiting for the next set to come in. By the time August rolled around, I had felt like a completely different human. I loved the lifestyle and the people in Santa Cruz were amazing. 

When It came time to leave, I felt my heart breaking. I had learned so much from them, but I knew things would get better for Greg once I left. After long hugs and tears, I was on a plane to Utah, where I currently attend school at the University of Utah. 

Ella came by my house about 5 weeks later to catch up and bring me a few things that I had left in California. After a while of small talk, she told me that she just received news that Greg had been diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer. Tears came instantly. Flashbacks of our time on the water, white water rafting, smoothie making, and watching sunsets came flooding in my mind. How could this happen!? I called Greg a few days later and he started off the conversation with humor and whit. He had already chosen to endure the trial well. I knew at that moment that I needed to meet him. He had taught me, just in that short conversation, that you literally have a choice in whether you want to be happy or miserable. 

Just a few weeks ago, I found out a little more about how they discovered the cancer. Apparently, the shea butters triggered physical symptoms of the cancer that had been growing for a number of months. A wave of relief had filed my body and finally help me realize my purpose for being with them that summer. How ironic!! 

Here I was thinking that I was unintentionally hurting someone I cared about with my habits, and it was the very thing that saved his life.
What’s the moral to the story, you may ask? Be a learner, not a prisoner. Even though it may be painful in many ways to be in unfamiliar territory, being a rookie is the best way to new paths of growth! I now have a second family and a father that I love dearly who I learned so many things from that will serve me for the rest of my life. I will never forget that! I would not trade it for anything, and I’m grateful that I could play a part in helping Greg discover his Cancer!