Defining “Unbroken”

            Making life choices, becoming an adult, and life in general isn’t easy, which is something I wish they taught us from the start. Four years ago, my parents started their first divorce, and if I am honest that hurt me. With my freshman year ruined by a nasty divorce, that year I learned that money can’t buy you happiness and that greed and spite really do exist. I had made the basketball team that year, and as my first basketball game started neither of my parents showed up because they “didn’t want to run into each other”. In that moment, I knew I wanted to leave the small town of Portland and never come back.  My parents less than six months later got back together and divorced a second time my senior year of high school. I am currently going to school at Brookhaven Community College to become a nuclear medicine tech. I am still in my freshman year of college and can’t wait to apply for my program in the spring of 2017. One of my challenges as a college student is being away from home, my friends, the salty air, and sandy shores. My biggest challenge would have to be that my parents don’t think I have what it takes to make it, therefore my biggest goal is to prove them wrong.

Ellen Breman’s “Will You Become ‘Unbroken’ With Me?” is about how Breman is overcoming the challenge of feeling “physically broken” due to her health conditions and that our personal lives can sometimes affect our education. Breman quotes Rabbi Harold S. Kushner’s book “When Bad Things Happen to Good People” and about how we shouldn’t question “Why did this happen to me?” but that we should questions ourselves with “What will I do now that it has?” Her first step is “Support”, that counselors on campus can help you and are here for you. Breman notes “I don’t want to repeat my mistakes.”, so she advises to find someone going through the same problems to support you with your change. The second step is “[s]maller, achievable goals” to ensure that you keep on the track of the larger goal you are trying to achieve, that sometimes it’s easier to break down the larger goals into smaller ones to be able to achieve them. The third step is “Unhiding from the broken” getting out and getting away from your normal can really help heal where you feel is broken. Breman also notes simply saying to friends about invitations “Please keep asking. Getting out really helps.” is a big step forward in the right direction.

            Moving to Dallas has been the biggest step forward I have ever taken for myself to becoming “unbroken”. Life definitely throws you curve balls and is very unforgiving. With that alone it is very hard to balance everyday life, a part time job, a somewhat social life, and school. Yet somehow, I have managed to surrounded myself with some amazing people, who lift me up on the daily. Personally, after reading this article her steps to “What will I do now that it has?” has helped me with even the smallest struggles I am going through. Realizing that I am not the only person going through something difficult and that others are struggling with their larger goals is the most important thing she has helped me with. I am not alone and I refuse to fail.

 Her step about smaller goals has helped me continue towards my larger goal of who I want to be and where I want to be in life. Even when something pulls me away from believing I can, I break down what I feel like I can’t do and realize nothing is impossible. Being in a new place with absolutely no friends has taken a toll on me, I haven’t been the best at making friends especially with what all has happened in my life. I have slowly made friends and continue to step out of my comfort zone to become a better me.  The past and the current situations don’t define you as a person they simply make you the better, stronger person you are today.  Therefore, I keep moving forward, because you can’t let the key to your happiness sit in someone else’s pocket even if that person is yourself.