I have problems. But who doesn’t? What working man doesn’t wake up and think, I have a big day today? What student doesn’t get out of school and think, I have football then work then homework? What boyfriend doesn’t think, I hope my girlfriend is alright? There is nobody without problems. But mine are a little more complicated.

I hardly get to see my girlfriend. She goes to a different school so it’s hard. But that’s not it…it’s something bigger than that. My brother is a registered sex offender. My girlfriend isn’t allowed at my house unless he leaves. So why not have him leave? Well where is he supposed to go? Then why not just go to her house? Well like I said before—I’m not the only one with problems.

My family gives up hanging out, having sleepovers, and having parties at my house so my brother can live with us. How would you feel if it was your fault that your younger brother and four younger sisters couldn’t have friends over? Would you wish you were dead? “Things would be better if I was just dead…” That isn’t just a depressing sentence, it’s a nightmare… I’ve heard that sentence many times and it grows like a weed. You can get it out of your head for the time being—but it always grows back.

We all support my brother, but it can get hard. It’s easy to swallow pain and sorrow, but there is only so much I can hold…and when I can’t swallow any more—well, I break. When I break, it takes time to recover. I need time to fix the cracks and holes in my soul. And what happens when the people who help fix me can’t see you all the time? Your broken soul gathers dust, it gets used to being broke…it loses life.

Everyone has problems—however, not everyone uses them as excuses. Next year I will get to see my girlfriend everyday…I’ll be able to hang out with people at my dorm, but does that change anything? I’m still going to feel the pain—I’m still going to miss my girlfriend every minute I’m not with her. But those are problems…they never go away.

I breath pain everyday like I breath air…I have fought through the pain my last two years of High School. The pain is my fuel and it fuels the fire within me…the fire of ambition. I have succeeded in high school with a 3.2 cumulative and a 23 on my ACT, and I will continue to fuel the fire. I will continue to work as hard as I can while struggling with my problems. I will continue to succeed.