Staying Positive-October Post (revised)

     Staying Positive
Taylor Hatch
       Lately I've had times where it's been hard for me to smile because my dad has been in the hospital for almost two months. He went in because his kidney wasn't working. Then, a few days after he went in they found fluids around his heart. While he has been in there, he's had a surgery pretty much every other day. My family almost decided to take him off of life support a while ago. They decided not to because the doctor did something and said that he could fight because he's young enough and strong enough. He's been hooked up to so many machines and it was scary when I first went in there because everything looked so big and important. When one thing isn't beeping, another thing is. I can talk to my dad but he can't talk to me because he's on the medication to keep him calm so he can't pull any tubes out or off. When I go visit him, I talk to him about what's been going on in my life lately and it's kind of weird because he's not talking back and his eyes aren't open. At home I still have my mom, stepdad, and stepbrother to comfort me and at school I have all of my friends. My grandma has been down here for almost as long as my dad has been in the hospital. If he does get better his recovery will be long and hard. Sometimes I pretend that he's not in the hospital and never was. Even though he's been in the hospital for so long and still is I still stay happy. I've stayed positive through this and I hope I will for however long this lasts. I've learned a lesson through this: Stay positive, don't worry, remember that struggles make you stronger, and you'll be alright. Some great quotes are "Things turn out best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out" - John R. Wooden, "Promise me you'll always remember that you are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think." - A.A Milne, “We must embrace pain and burn it as fuel for our journey.” - Kenji Miyazawa. "When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it." - Henry Ford, “Tough times never last, but tough people do.” - Robert H Schuller.

That was in September... Now my dad is out of the ICU and he can talk, move, and he's getting better at walking. I could've chosen to be upset and sad during that time where he was in the ICU, but instead I chose to be happy. My grandma has been in the hospital pretty much every single day visiting my dad, I like that it shows that there are other people who want to be there all the time just like me. My dad is now at the old hospital recovering. He doesn't have all the big scary machines that beep every second, he's able to use his phone, he can talk, and he can move. I'm glad I stayed positive through all the big and tough parts because I wouldn't want to be sad all the time. I really hope other people will be happy during tough times too.