2011English 99 This I Believe Essay:

This I Believe…

Love a simple four-letter word when spelled out on paper. However, the simplicity of its spelling by no means reflects what love really is. Even though everyone has their own view on love, we can all agree that it is powerful. However, I believe there is something much greater than love.
My sister Tanja is one of the people I love and miss the most. We were close. Just like any other siblings, we had our feuds, but we could never stay mad at each other very long because we were best friends. There were two years between us but our personalities complimented each other, much like night and day.
My sister spoke her mind while playing things safe, where I am quiet but not afraid to take risks. The two of us together were a perfect dynamic duo. Anything seemed possible.
She had epilepsy, which is a neurological disorder that caused her to have seizures in her sleep. It ended up taking her life at the age of seventeen. January 12, 2011 is the day I lost my sister and my best friend, the person who I loved the most. Words cannot even begin to describe how much I miss her.
We discovered that Tanja had seizures when she was ten years old while our family was taking a trip to California to see the birth of my stepsister’s second child. My dad, step mom, stepbrother, oldest stepsister, two-step nieces, step nephew, my sister and I all drove up for the occasion. The first night was a miserable one. Looking out the window of the motel it looked like we never left Washington as the raindrops poured down from dark rain clouds. Exhausted from the long drive we decided to call it a night resting up for the day to follow.
 I remember waking up next to my dad sitting on top of Tanja slapping her and yelling “Wake up. Wake up!” My stepmom told him he needed to stop, just let her have the seizure but make sure Tanja did not bite her tongue. She then ran to the front desk to call for an ambulance.  By this time, I was off the bed standing out of the way petrified crying. I felt hopeless watching my sister’s body twisted in various ways as my dad held her until finally the episode ended. When the paramedics arrived, they loaded her into the ambulance not yet fully conscious, with my dad and stepmom crawling in to sit beside her.
Later that morning we received a phone call that all was well and that they had to explain to Tanja why she was at the hospital because she did not know what had happened. They told my dad when we went back to Washington that they need to make an appointment for her to see a neurologist to learn if she had epilepsy or if the seizure was just brought on by stress.
            After several doctors visits they finally put my sister on medication because she continued to have seizures. They told us she may eventually grow out of them, and until then she should just keep taking her prescribed medication. The doctor never made it sound like it was anything to worry about, so we never thought much about how serious seizures could be. My sister was not very good at remembering to her medication so we constantly had to remind her. However, we reminding her did not guarantee that she would take them. Looking back now, we regret not learning more about seizures and making the doctors inform us better. Maybe, we would of stressed the importance of her taking her pill and made sure actually took it.
The day I found out of my sister’s passing started just as any other day. My dad left for work in a rush and I slept through my alarm missing my first class but luckily made in time for my next one. Afterwards, I headed to Wal-Mart to pick up some school supplies along with a lunch for work. When I got home, I noticed her car was parked, which was unusual, because she normally helps manage her high school wrestling team after school. Since there was snow on the ground, I figured they canceled practice. I had a few hours to kill before work and I was going to discuss our movie plans for the weekend, but then changed my mind at the last minute when I arrived just outside her door. I knew she liked to take naps so I decided against it, not wanting to disturb her. Without a second thought I decided to wait until I saw her again.
It is little before 8:30 in the evening when one of my staff members came up to me tell I needed to go home because I have a family emergency. I immediately panicked because I knew it had to be serious for them to call me at work.  When I called my mom, she would not tell me anything but say wait at work until my grandparents arrived to pick me up. Just before hanging up she told me “Be strong”. I was already in tears when my grandma got out and told me “Your sister is dead”. It is then my life just stopped. Nothing seemed real as I just sat in the car and cried. I felt twelve again as the trip to California flashed through my mind briefly.
When we reached my dad’s house, there were many people standing around crying. It is then I learned that my sister died in her sleep and my dad found her after work. He went into the house and checked our phone messages. We received one from the school saying Tanja never showed up for class, which was not like her at all. Therefore, after listening to the messages, he went into her room to see what was going on and that is when he found her. My heart just sank because I was home all that time earlier and I did not know.
            My sister’s death has caused me to stop and re-evaluate the way I live my life.  Before I was afraid to show my emotions, and communicate them to others very well. Now I am in the process of learning how to change that. I used to think love was the most powerful feeling a person could experience, but I have learned otherwise.
My sister’s favorite author John Green once said: "You can love someone so much... But you can never love people as much as you can miss them."  I believe this.
Tanja being gone has made me realize the time spent with her was precious. All the shopping trips, car rides, inside jokes, and conversations we had are now memories that I hold dear to me. No one can ever replace the void I now feel without her presence. Missing someone may just be a stronger from of love. I loved my sister more than anything when she was alive, but it was nothing compared to how much I miss her now.

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2011 English 99 Important Place Essay

Nustrup is a small town in southern Denmark, an easy drive away from Germany’s border, where my father grew up. To this day his parents still reside in the same house. This small town is made up of flat, lush green fields that continue on for miles, while petite trees pop up from the ground every so often. The lack of weeds makes the land appear peaceful and well kept. Most houses in Denmark are made in the old Nordic style. People have pride in restoring or preserving old architecture from houses, castles, and even churches all over the land. The dedication in keeping structures maintained can be compared to the way they up keep their houses. Much like my grandparents, people keep their lawns well trimmed with small flower gardens out lining the side of their houses, and a similar garden in the back to grow vegetables.
In Nustrup, a single store supplies the small neighborhood, accompanied by a park filled with basic swings and slides. Both in a reasonable walking distance from each other. My sister and I spent a lot of time walking between the two places to supply our need for sweets. Then burning the excess energy off at the park before waking back to our grandparent’s home. Being in the country, when we wanted to travel any where else we would have to drive on flat roads stretching infinitely along country acres before reaching our final destination. Denmark is a home of bittersweet emotions accompanied by memories. Nonetheless, it will forever remain an important place to me.
I could not tell you my first time setting foot on Danish soil because I was only a year old when my father and mother decided to move there. It was a short lived trip, only lasting a little over two years before they decided to move back to Washington. From then on we would visit my dad’s family during the holidays, as well as during the summer. One of the earliest memories I have was close to age six: my father was spinning my little sister and I in my grandfather’s favorite chair. The next part of the memory involves myself flying out of the chair hitting my head on their wooden coffee table. I began to wail as my dad and grandmother rush me into the laundry room setting my small body on top of a dryer to clean me up. To this day I still bare a small scar next to my right eye as a reminder of the event.
What makes Nustrup stand out so much to me is that everything seems calm, similar to the way most lived in the past, like time slows down there, allowing one to relax without worries. Normal every day things that seem like a chore in Washington, appear to be more enjoyable, such as shopping, or making your bed in the morning. For me it is the one place that feels like home; where I can be myself. It is nice to walk down the streets knowing that when you encounter someone, you will receive some form of acknowledgement, whether it be a smile or a nod, instead of looking straight down at the ground avoiding all forms of communication.
My last visit to Denmark was in 2009. I was a junior in high school at the time when my dad decided that we needed to make a visit, which turned out to be the hardest to say goodbye. Two weeks was not enough to make up for lost time. What ignited my dad to plan the trip was that my last great grandmother, who was almost 98 years old, was long overdue for a visit. My dad is a grandma’s boy. He spent most of his childhood growing up on her farm, being raised by her and his grandfather because his parents had to do a lot of traveling. I cannot begin to describe the bond that they have. The memory that stands out the most from our last visit was when my dad said goodbye to his grandmother one last time. My sister, grandparents, and I all said our goodbyes before heading to the car. Sitting, with tears rolling down my face, I watched as they said goodbye. This was the second time I remember ever seeing my dad cry has he hugged and kissed her farewell, not know if that moment would be his last ever holding her in his arms.

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