(15, NJ, USA) Anonymous - Learning To Accept

Learning how to accept things for how they are is a challenging but vital life skill. When my grandmother was diagnosed with leukemia, our family’s world was turned upside down. She was like a second mother to me. At first, I clung to hope, believing that a miraculous recovery was just around the corner. She underwent every treatment and therapy, praying for a positive outcome. She was so strong, never letting her sickness define her. We celebrated small victories and clung to any sign of improvement. Yet with every setback, the reality of her illness became inescapable.

I remember one memory of being in the hospital with her. I held her hand, trying to be strong, but the tears came anyway. She looked at me with her tired eyes and whispered, "It’s okay to let go." I realized shortly after this that while I was consumed with the need to save her, she had already made peace with her fate. The woman who came to every school event, cooked for me, and read me bedtime stories was slipping away. Most of the time, she slept, her breathing shallow and labored.

The key takeaway from this is that once you learn how to accept things you cannot change, life gets a little easier. It’s okay to fail that test; it’s okay if you don’t make that team. Everything will be okay.