A Highly Improbable Situation by Jenna

A Highly Improbable Situation by Jenna - July 2013 Scholarship Essay

A Highly Improbable Situation
By: Jenna Santiago-Huertas
When I was in the 10th grade we had an assignment for English class to read any book you wanted but under one condition it had to be a memoir, biography, or autobiography.  I was excited about this assignment.  I could read about my favorite people; maybe I would read about Einstein, Darwin, or Kobe Bryant, perhaps a politician. 
            It was the end of January when this assignment was given to us and at that time my mother had already been taking care of my grandmother for about four months.  She was in Colorado with my ailing grandmother with colon cancer who then suffered a stroke around Thanksgiving.  She was adopted but this was still her mother and she had to do it.  My grandfather couldn’t do everything himself. 
            My mother’s birthday was approaching so I ordered her a present from a vendor on Amazon. I received an extra gift from the seller.  It was a book named Damages written by Bazhe.  It was his autobiography.  I had just started to read it when the assignment was given. The book focused a significant amount on his experience taking care of his mother who had colon cancer.  It was the exact situation my mother was in. 
            My mother didn’t talk about my grandmother’s situation much.  It was too hard and painful.  So instead, I read.  I read this man’s book about his life and the pain, heartache, and daily struggle he went through everyday while taking care of his dying mother.  It put my mother’s struggle and life in perspective.  I remember reading and needing to stop because the small amount of details my mother gave me about her daily life was exactly what I was reading. 
            After I was done reading my respect and admiration I had for my mother grew exponentially.  I knew my mother was a fighter and a survivor.  She had a rough life but she has always put her family, especially her kids, first.  She was by my grandmother’s side from October until her passing on February 24th, 2011. This book gave me an insight into a situation I couldn’t imagine.  I had no idea what my mother was going through day after day for 4 months.
            An unseen but welcomed surprise came from reading Damages.  It was highly improbable this book, from someone I had never heard of, would have the impact it did.  Bazhe did a lot for me, there’s no denying it. His book gave me a sense of knowing. It gave me clarity.  Most importantly, he reminded me of the invaluable price of family.  He brought light into a dark situation.  A statement I never thought would come from this book.