I have a friend. We grew up together. Our first year of school I just referred to her as “my new best friend.” Her name wasn’t as important to me as the person that she was. Years have gone by now and things have changed. I know her name now. We are both in college trying to be the best we can be. However, her even being in college is a miracle within itself. Her home life was difficult and the summer before her senior year, things got worse.

Her dad was diagnosed with cancer. She has two older brothers, but they were off at college and couldn’t be home for support. She and her mother would take turns driving him the 100-mile trip to the closest treatment center for his weekly appointments. She worked full time her senior year just to help pay for the family bills.

Eighteen months later amazing news was received that the cancer in her dad was gone and he was in remission. Shortly afterwards her mother was diagnosed with cancer. Her mother fought hard, but ended up losing her battle against cancer this semester.

My friend is the rock of her family, and when things got tough, she was the level head. She held everything and everyone together to give her mother the ceremony she deserved while maintaining a high GPA and keeping her scholarships in the 19 credit hours she has this semester.

It has been a few months now and she is learning how to adapt to the changes. Just the other day though, she called to let me know that my birthday is in just a few days and she didn’t want me to think she had forgotten. Her kindness and compassion touches my heart. It just amazes me that after all that she has been through, she still thinks of me. She makes a point to let all the people in her life know that she cares about them. It means the world to me that she can be so selfless when she has every reason to be bitter at life. Just one little phone call has changed my perspective on life and shown me true holiday spirit.

Allyson
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