Everyone endures something difficult at some point in their life. It’s how we overcome our obstacles that make us who we are. Throughout my life, I’ve had to overcome many different hardships and each time I became a new person through my actions. My hard times have included almost every aspect of my life, whether it is something with friends, school, or even sports. But, the roughest thing I’ve had to go through involved two of my brothers.

I’m part of a huge family, the middle child of six. Three older brothers, a younger sister, and a younger brother. No one is closer to me than my family. I even consider most of my friends to be my, ‘brother from another mother.’ Back in 2006, I had to go through one of the hardest things someone could be stuck with. I had to face the fact that I would never see my older brother, Jake, anymore. Jake had passed away from a drug overdose. Hearing my brother Nick tell me that he was gone, instantly sent the worst feeling down my entire body. I didn’t know how to react. I never expected anything like this to happen to me. Seeing my mother, and my brother, two of the strongest people in my life, break down and cry brought out the reality of it.
There was no way to run away from what had happened, I had to face the death of my own brother. Although I witnessed everyone around me break down and lose hope, we managed to stick together and help one another through the tragedy. Without the help of each other, my family would all be like lost puppies just trying to find a place to put themselves in this world. I know that my brother is still with me, every single day, watching over my family and me. My two oldest brothers, my mother, and I have all gotten the same tattoo for Jake, it is a tattoo that he planned on getting but never got the chance to.

I grew up with a boy named Kody. Kody and I were two of the closest friends you could ever find. Close enough that you could even call us brothers. Freshman year in high school, Kody moved to Missouri to live with his father due to troubles he was having in New York. Whenever we talked, Kody told me how much fun it is out there, but always mentioned how he missed New York. In March of 2010, Kody’s life was cut short. He had run into some trouble with some kids from his school, and they took it too far, and ended my brother’s life. Hearing that I had lost yet another brother instantly brought tears to my eyes and hate to my heart.

Dealing with the loss of Kody was also extremely hard to get through. Seeing everyone in my high school, in sort of a zombie trance, made it hard to overcome what had happened. We stayed strong by helping one another and being there for each other. Kody’s mother has kept in touch with me, and we have supported each other through it all. His mother, showing me the love and support that she has, has showed me that although I lost a brother, I had also gained a family.

Everyone goes through something in their life that they wish they did not have to. I have had to deal with the loss of two extremely close people to my heart, in a matter of 4 years. No one prepares themselves for the unexpected loss of someone important to you. Each time someone overcomes an obstacle, they become an entirely new person. We become stronger and wiser as our lives go on. Franklin Roosevelt once said, “The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today. Let us move forward with strong and active faith.”