What kept me going...

I have always found school extremely hard. No matter what subject and no matter how it is taught I always have a very hard time remember what is needed to be remembered when the time comes down to doing a test. After choosing not to say in University a really great friend of mine told me to try going to college in something that everyone has told me almost all my life that I would be very good at and that is Marketing. Me being the person that I am is never happy unless I have done my all time best on everything. I decided to take Business Administration and major in Marketing. I was told that it much harder and there is a lot more work involved in this program compared to the Marketing program at Algonquin College. That wasn't going to stop me. I made it through the first year and a half till I started with Marketing and found my calling. I LOVE IT! I was told that my second last semester in the program was going to be my hardest. I prepared myself for the most work intensive semester ever. To add to the work I was encouraged by my friends at school to join the Ontario Colleges Marketing Competition. To my surprise and delight I made it onto the team! 

Through that semester I have never been so busy, stress, tired and desperate for it to just be finished. I was at school every day from 8 am in the morning till 7 or 8pm at night working as hard as I could do get the best marks possible and train for my competition. Many times through that semester I felt beyond overwhelmed, nothing was ever going to make the stress go away. I need to find an escape. Something, anything to make my every day just a little bit easier. It got to the point that I was to busy to even stress about stressing. Then one day I heard this song on the radio Stand Up 2 Cancer. For the first time in what seemed like months I actually sat in my car and cried because I had finally found the one thing that made me relax and take a minute to myself. This song told me that no matter how grumpy, sick, stressed and tired I get I have to keep up the work. 

All my life I have told myself that I am going to work hard for everyone else like my teachers, my parents and my friends to make them happy, not even thinking about myself. Once I heard this song it told me that what you are doing is for yourself, not for anyone else. You try your hardest because you know that is what makes you happy and that is all that should matter. I ended up finishing the year on the dean's list and ranking top 10 in the competition. It was truly the best time of my life. I made friends that I will have forever and experiences that I will never forget. 

As the hectics come to an end I got the very bad news that my best friends mom is very sick with cancer. I was very close to her and felt desperate to do anything to help. I knew that there was nothing I could do but to be there with her and make sure she was happy. So that is what I did. Almost every time I saw her I would go home and listen to that song for her. To help her fight. In January she left this world with love from her family and closest friends. I miss her every day and wish just that I could see her just one more time. 

Now every time I listen to my song, the one thing that kept me going through everything I think of her. She is my inspiration to never give up and fight till you have nothing left. I believe that everyone should have something that keeps them going. Something that has brought something good to your life and that you will remember forever. 

For more information about fighting Cancer and keeping strong visit:

http://www.standup2cancer.org/