Reflective Essay on My Dad Teaching Me Hard Work
Thank you to high school, for teaching me to be reluctant to failure. One of my toughest memories I have to look back on everyday is my failure to push myself throughout high school because of fear and doubt. Devastation is a strong word, but I feel that way knowing I didn’t try harder, knowing that I can achieve what I need due to my focus and drive senior year. This could have helped in the beginning of high school.
I won’t regret that I believed my parents divorce, my father’s illness, and my 10 year old brother’s depression was an excuse to disturb me from school. I’m so thankful for these experiences, they taught me life lessons. My father’s scrutinizing medical problems lead to the divorce, mom wasn’t happy because of the money we were losing due to my father being sick and that has to be the hardest thing to think of everyday. My dad, a hard working retired firefighter taught me hard work, selflessness, and as basic as it sounds, to never give up on what you want. Seeing my father at such a young age struggle to take care of my siblings and I, sank my heart. He didn’t tell us what was going on with his heart. Oddly, my parents expected us to ignore the doctor phone calls, prescription bottles, and medical bills laid out on the kitchen table.
Us five had a good life for a while and when things got shaky, so did I. I’ll never forget the words my father said to me on one of our normal Monday morning drive to school, “Regan, Please do well, I hurt, but I am working for you.” I teared up, it was frustrating because I knew I wasn’t being the best. When someone says the word “please”, it affects me in a different way, such a simple word seemed like he needed so much help, and it was true. To hear those words coming from such a
Thank you to high school, for teaching me to be reluctant to failure. One of my toughest memories I have to look back on everyday is my failure to push myself throughout high school because of fear and doubt. Devastation is a strong word, but I feel that way knowing I didn’t try harder, knowing that I can achieve what I need due to my focus and drive senior year. This could have helped in the beginning of high school.
I won’t regret that I believed my parents divorce, my father’s illness, and my 10 year old brother’s depression was an excuse to disturb me from school. I’m so thankful for these experiences, they taught me life lessons. My father’s scrutinizing medical problems lead to the divorce, mom wasn’t happy because of the money we were losing due to my father being sick and that has to be the hardest thing to think of everyday. My dad, a hard working retired firefighter taught me hard work, selflessness, and as basic as it sounds, to never give up on what you want. Seeing my father at such a young age struggle to take care of my siblings and I, sank my heart. He didn’t tell us what was going on with his heart. Oddly, my parents expected us to ignore the doctor phone calls, prescription bottles, and medical bills laid out on the kitchen table.
Us five had a good life for a while and when things got shaky, so did I. I’ll never forget the words my father said to me on one of our normal Monday morning drive to school, “Regan, Please do well, I hurt, but I am working for you.” I teared up, it was frustrating because I knew I wasn’t being the best. When someone says the word “please”, it affects me in a different way, such a simple word seemed like he needed so much help, and it was true. To hear those words coming from such a strong man was gut wrenching . On the way to cheer practice, I cried to my mom in the car. I can explain why, but I think you have a good understanding. My mom knew I wasn’t emotional and I knew she wasn’t used to this. Genuinely, no one has ever seen me emotional in the slightest bit, so that showed how hard this hit me. I was always happy, no matter what. So this explains that at this point in my life, my freshman to junior year was long-lasting. Junior year, no idea where I was even living, but yes, we got through it and I couldn’t be more content with where my life is.
I would like to add that cheer-leading helped me throughout this and it is something I would love to continue in college. Staying organized with my schedule is one of my biggest strengths and I work hard at it. Most importantly, I have learned from my dad that I have to work hard for myself because no one else will. Learning to be happy for myself after making sure my family was okay was the best thing. I did what was needed, getting physically and mentally healthy again.
I want a successful life, I want to help people along the way, anything is possible if you work for it, there might be bumps in the road, but there’s another chance. A chance at changing myself to be focused on strictly school and work would be exceptional. It is okay to be selfish until you have become who you want to be and find out where you want to go. I will achieve the things I want to and won’t let anything stop me from that. The excitement I have for a new start in my life is sensational.