I was only 16 when the when the incident happened ,actually I think it was fate. But my mom and dad always saw it as a curse, and my brothers were always trying to help I know it ,but I needed to learn on my own so I told them to stop. Anyways lets get back to the story.
1.HOW IT HAPPENED
The night before it happened my best friend Alana and I had just gone night surfing so we were really tired when we woke up but when we did we went straight to the waves they were beautiful after the waves calmed down Alana started talking about what bikini she wanted to where to the photo shoot but I said that "they would just tell you what bikini they wanted you to wear" then out of nowhere the shark came up and bit my arm off after that moment all I was thinking was "God please get me to shore PLEASE." When we got to the hospital they said that "I was going into hipper-bulimic shock." I woke up three days later and I looked over at my arm and started to cry and thought "How am I going to surf, how am I supposed to duck dive in competitions. Maybe I should just give up surfing all together I mean how will I win competitions against Malina she has two arms and I only have one." Then the doctor comes in and says "Bethany will be okay to go home in a few hours call me if she experiences any discomfort in the next few days." Then my mom and dad went into the hall to talk to the doctor I don't know what they were talking about but I thought it was something along the lines of that she is a living miracle and all that other stupid stuff about my arm.Then my mother comes in crying and says aloud "Why this have to happen to us why did that shark have to bite your arm off WHY?" she said wiping tears from the corner of her eye. Then I looked down at the ground and thought "Why did this happen to me why couldn't this have happened to a another girl why did the stupid shark have to bite MY arm off?" Then I just cried as hard as I could and said "I think it's time to go home now."So my parents took me home along.
2. HOME SWEET HOME
As we drove up the driveway all we could see was camera and some camera men then one of my brothers came out with the hose but Dad told him to run in the house and unlock the back door so he did, then Dad got in the car and drove like no ones business it was surely the highlight of my day it was so thrilling ''nice moves slick'' I said then my brothers came out to get me so I went in side. Man the house smelt so good I swear we had more flowers than were growing on the whole island! "Its good to be home" I said then out of under the table came my cute puppy Ginger but she still knew it was me even without my arm to her I was still just good old Bethany Hamilton, it was nice to see that I still looked normal to someone. Then we went to go and make sandwiches I tried to help I just couldn't do anything without getting frustrated so I just went to my room to unpack and while I was unpacking I came across a barbie that kinda looked like me but not the exact same she had two arms and I had one so I ripped her arm off but then Mom came in and said that she liked her better that way I thought so too she also said that it was time for lunch so I came out to the table one of my brothers had already started eating but I told him that we still had to do our prayers. 3. THE ARM When were done praying Dad told the whole family that a company called and said that they will give a prosthetic arm that I can surf with all for free Mom said that I didn't have to do it but I should at least try it. That arm could not come sooner I can't ever do my hair without help from one of my friends I also couldn't tie my bathing suit around my back it then I went to try and make a sandwich it didn't work out so well so I had one of my brothers help me ,when I was done I went into my room and my mom came in she said that when she was a kid she had a statue that only one less arm than me and that she is the replica of beauty that made me feel a lot better...............I guess. Then I remembered that my pastor had just gotten back from Africa so of course I ran straight to her I really needed to talk to her when I got there she asked me how I was doing and I said that I was doing really good. I lied. Then she said that I didn't have to lie to her and that she really wanted the truth ,so I told her that I was trying to get a new perspective on the whole situation but it wasn't working very well then I said with a little tear coming down my face "why was this God's plan for me why".she said that she didn't know why some of the plans god has for us aren't what we wanted exactly what we had intended for our life then she started to cry with me and said that she had to think that something good will come out of this..a few minutes later my mom called me in for dinner. 4.FINALLY Yes! Finally I get to try on the arm they said that they would drop by at our house for me to try it on when they got to it my house it was already 3:00pm I couldn't hold the excitement in any longer.When I first saw the arm I said that it look super real and he said that you could also paint the nails I told him I thought that it was cool and that I just needed to try it on my board so I walked over to my surf board and I tried to pick it up but the guy said it can't do any weight barring .and I asked him ''so how do I duck dive how do I push up on my board to catch a wave" then I ran into the house with tears coming down my face like crazy but my dad shouted to me as I was running in the house that I didn't need the arm to surf.when all of the people from the arm company were gone I went back out side to look at the waves they were so wild I wish I could go surfing I told my mom but she said to try a shower first . 5.THE WAVES finnaly I've brought up couarge to ask my mom and dad to surf agin im kinda scared though I mean what if they say no and I'm never ever going to surf agin.so I go out side to ask no tell my parents that I want to get back on the waves agin.when I get out there ane told my mom and dad well my dad kinda smiled but my mom just flat out said NO.later that night the waves were wicked I just had to go out and surf ,so I did at first it was a little hard to cach a wave but finally I got one and if only you could see all the joy on my face ,and at the verry moment I knew that I had to surf and that was what god had planned for my life,and if you can't already tell I'm going to surf for the rest of my life well maby not the rest of my life but a pretty good portishon 6.MY FIRST COMPTION EEK! today i enterd mt first comption for like in forver but im kinda scared because nither my mom nor my dad know i know i need to tell them i mean i know that my dad will say yes but my mom im not to sure on my mom and i just hope that she will say yes well off i go.once i get to where my mom and dad are i ask them once agian and once agian my dad dose one of his sly smilyles but somethings diffrent about my momshe kinda smilys to and after that moment i knew that i could surf agian.so later that day i go and sign up for regiolos and signed up.i just hope that i can beat melina.but just between me and you i am pretty sure i can and so is my dad. 7.THE DAY OF THE COMPTION when i woke up htis morning well i guess you could say that i was definaly ready for the comption but others might of said that i was shaking with fear buut as most of you already know i don't get scared i don't even know what fear feels like cause ive never had it
