Awakening the Warrior Within

I am entering another contest and would love your feedback. The challenge is to write a 250 word essay on coming of age, some life transforming story. I value your constructive feedback. The deadline is in two weeks. It was challenging to write only 250 words!

The delivery room nurse shoved me back onto the OR table. How dare she shield me from my baby? My inner warrior was called into action as I bolted back up. No one was going to protect me from the truth. I caught a glimpse of Avi’s thumbs dangling by a thread. “Sometimes babies are born with extra digits. I can handle that,” I thought. I had no idea of the bad news yet to come, but I wasn’t going to take it lying down!

Over the next five years, I became a fierce advocate for my sweet son. His dangling thumbs were only a minor symptom of his terminal illness, Fanconi Anemia, a disease so rare; most doctors had never heard of it. I knew if I didn’t become an expert, he wouldn’t get the care he deserved. Avi’s illness brought out an inner strength that I didn’t know I had; when others fall apart, I rise to the top. In crisis, I become infused with adrenaline, my mind becoming sharper. I will do anything to fight for the people I love.

When Avi tragically succumbed to a brain tumor shortly before his fifth birthday, I was comforted with the knowledge that I’d done all I could. Had I not been proactive, I might’ve been wracked with guilt. In times of crisis, we can only control how we show up, and I chose to be armed with my intuition, intelligence, and perseverance, qualities that continue to inform my life.