My adversity, My story by Leilani

My adversity, My story by Leilani - May 2022 Scholarship Essay

Adversity means difficulties and misfortune. It is the difficult state of serious misfortune soon showing courage in the face of adversity. Facing adversity means when series of events seem to be against you, or a stroke of bad luck. They are 6 different types of adversity. Such as Physical, Mental, Emotional, Social, Spiritual, and Financial Adversity. I was having to face Mental and Emotional adversity. I was struggling in the past year having to face my family issues of my parents being massive manipulators into thinking I was crazy for feeling the way I did towards them and the life around me.
My dad was faced with aggravated assault charged by my mom. It was said to be a misunderstanding and an act out of anger and revenge. I never got the whole story mainly because I was not there. Since I was not there I was having to depend on my siblings information based on what they saw to talk to me so I can help them when we had our monthly check ins with CPS or just overall for their state of mind. I noticed during times and sessions when we would try to talk about it as family my mom will look at me and my siblings in a way when we expressed how we felt and truth of the matter of their toxic marriage and how they bring the household to be that way. They would master in manipulating myself and my siblings that we were beyond crazy and imagining scenarios when we all know what really happened.
They have been trying to rekindle the relationship they have with one another and fail to do with us. They do not notice how their behavior towards one another, that then they both take it out on me and my siblings. Which seem like Bipolar episodes from both party’s. Because of that situation this past year me and my siblings have been more involved in school and outside activities to try and get as far away from them as we could. We can no longer have normal conversations with them, with out them making it seem like we were the problem and not them.
Me having to face the truths of stepping up to big sister role. I was assigned a lot of the responsibilities they failed to do as parents. I was the other parent in my house. I was constantly stressed, awake, up and around town getting my sisters to school, myself to school on time, picked up from school, fed diner, going to work, coming home late, making sure all siblings have done their homework, chores, ate dinner, and ready for the next day. The thing is, I didn't need to do any of that because I had parents who were home who could have done it for them. But every day after my parents came home from work they stayed in bed for hours, went out to eat for themselves or don't eat at all, and stayed cooped up in their room on their technology devices. I still had to do my chores, feed myself, do my homework, and if I could not sleep I stayed up to get some scholarships done.
I have been planning and organizing all my senior events this year because they told me I needed no help since it seemed like I had my life under control. That made me feel like at that point no one stoped to care about me, asked how im feeling, wondering if I was tired. I was drained from head to toe. But I kept pushing. I did it for my siblings and myself. I am just a kid, I need help from my parents too. I wanted to feel taken care. My parents provide financially and materialistic needs time to time, but they do not provide it emotionally. I feel like what they have put me through has messed with me mentally.
I am able to overcome the mental and emotional adversity I am currently facing by thinking positive, surrounding myself with people I choose to be with, friends and extended family support, attending Texas A&M University; proving me that security and safeness in doing something I love and not having to worry so much about whats going on around me. Having the mindset of “there is a way out” or “there is something greater on the other side” has kept me in the spirit and motivation to overcome the adversity I am facing.