Sample Experience Essay – Narration of a Life Changing Experience
People go through many experiences in life. You learn many lessons through the experiences you go through. These lessons make you a better, more informed person. Life is full of experiences. Some are happy while some are sad. Some experiences you may just ignore as insignificant while others you take into your heart and examine them over and over again. This essay is about an experience that changed my life.
Most of us take our parents for granted. They are there for us no matter what we do and where we go. Our parents are those people that sometimes offer us sound advice and sometimes can be extremely embarrassing and annoying. They are pillars of the earth and, most often, we forget they are there unless we really need them. A few years ago, we were informed that our mother had a terminal illness. It shook the family to the core. However, after some time, we got over it and life went on as normal. She went through various treatments and seemed fine, and our family, sometimes conveniently, quietly forgot that she was ill. We being children, no matter how old we are, resumed our lives and forgot that her illness was terminal and treatment did not cure her illness, but only prolonged her life.
Over a period of years, our mother had her ups and downs. Most often, her medication made her extremely ill. We would then stay by her side and offer her whatever distractions and comfort we could provide and then moved on to our lives. We never realized the extent of her suffering because she was always upbeat and happy. She was always smiling and had a joke or two for whoever was listening. There was one time when her medication caused a side effect, and she was unable to walk or hold anything in her hands. Yet, she smiled and laughed through her discomfort whenever we were around. She never let us know, how difficult life was for her, never let us know how much she was suffering.
A few months ago, we were informed that her treatment had not been successful. We found out that she did not have long to live. How did we handle this situation? We blamed everyone we could and ranted and raved at her plight. Yet, through all this, she was serene and cheerful and did not blame anyone. All she claimed was that this was her “karma”. Her lot in life, to suffer for a sin, committed in her previous life. The only thing she was sad to be leaving behind was her husband and children.
How did this experience change my views about life? It taught me that no matter what life throws your way, you have to face it with confidence. It taught me that no matter how bad life is, you smile and make sure that others around you do not feel as down as you do. It taught me that it is ok to sometimes cry and feel sad, but that life goes on. It also taught me that we must never take our parents and anyone else that we love for granted. It taught me that life is too short to worry about the little things in life. We should enjoy it and make the most of every second that we have on this earth with the ones we love.