They Were Right All Along by Kate

They Were Right All Along by Kate - April 2014 Scholarship Essay

I have lived the past eighteen years of my life constantly hearing my elders say that someone, somewhere, has it worse than I do. It is true, there are so many people whose problems are worse than my everyday teenage trials and tribulations. Even though I have always understood this in the back of my mind, it took me awhile to actually grasp the idea that the petty problems I complain about truly could be so much worse.

In John Green’s novel, The Fault in Our Stars, Hazel is a teenage girl living with a debilitating cancer that causes her lungs to fill with fluid, making it difficult to breathe. The story follows Hazel as she fights this battle with cancer, yet also manages to embrace a new relationship with the boy she meets at a cancer support group. Hazel spends the entire novel pointing out that she is not a “victim” and does not desire any form of pity. She uses all of her energy to hold up her boyfriend as his condition worsens.

I have always considered myself to be an avid reader. However, very few authors have managed to touch me on such an emotional level. Green created Hazels world in such detail that I felt as though I was fighting cancer, falling in love, and living life right alongside her. When I snapped out of captivation each time I placed the book on my bedside table, I questioned everything I have ever complained about. How was it that I spent my entire life wishing for a larger house or a more symmetrical face when there were people wishing for just a few more months to live?

I have connected with Hazel in the novel multiple times since I completed the book for the first time. No matter how well I learn her story, the impact is the same each time I flip through the pages. I feel as though Hazel opened my eyes to something that I would have certainly missed otherwise. I can hear her in the back of my mind, criticizing those who coddled her simply because she was sick, and I wonder why I would seek pity for such small misfortunes.

Hazel made me realize that, for all of these years, my elders were right. There is always someone who has it worse than me, and chances are, they are handling it with grace. I strive to be someone who can face difficulty with thick skin and a smile on my face. I felt Hazel’s personality slap me in the face the first time I read her story, and she has pushed me to be a better person each day since.