Then Life Began

Appreciation

My earliest memory is a car accident I was involved in when I was four. I was in El Salvador in a taxi and I remember sitting on my grandmothers lap in the front seat. The crash itself is very blurry, but once we were in the ditch, I recall seeing cops outside my window. Although I don't remember exactly how we got out of the car,somehow we did. Once I was outside I remember looking around and then laying my eyes upon a lady who had been in the back seat. I can't remember her face or even what she looked like really; just her bleeding eye where glass had pierced. Next thing I knew, I was in the hospital getting my elbow looked at. Luckily my grandmother and I had shared the seat belt, so we both walked out of the accident with little scratches.

Our lives could have ended there because one man chose to drink and drive. You know those commercials they air where people's lives are lost because people choose to drive intoxicated? Those aren't meant to be disregarded; It's something that happens everyday. That day was so traumatic and for that reason alone it is engraved in my memory.

Sometimes I think back to that day when I feel depressed; It reminds me that my life can be taken away so easily. It should never be taken for granted, appreciating everything and everyone is the key for getting through the tough times that inevitably happen. Without realizing that it can all be taken away, we have nothing.

Realizing that we have more than what we acknowledge is the first step to figuring out exactly what's around us. Sad days are always going to be around, but the good ones outshine the bad; they are the ones we hold close to our hearts.

Sadness brings comfort while happiness is something to work for, but once it's achieved everything becomes worth the work.

Although there is a possibility of accepting nothing, appreciating it is impossible.

Happiness brings hope... Appreciation brings love.