Personal Narrative: Growing Up Without A Home

When I come to school, I am given work that will overwhelm other average students. I am able to handle it, but the effect all the extra work has on me and my classmates are obvious. When the school year ends I use my summer vacation to recover from the tiring year. The feeling of relief rushes through me when I can wake up and not have to get dressed for

Teens can be influenced by many factors, the most common one being peer influence. Most teens grow up feeling insecure about themselves and try to fit in, this causing them to act a certain way that they aren’t used to. “I was trying to make friends… i didn’t realize it at the time, but it was an initiation into the crew” (Akinsanya). Segun Akinsanya had lost his mother at a young age, eight years old, due to a car accident because of the weather condition leading to killing her instantly. He had moved to a different location with his father and sister and he went to a park to go look for friends.

Wes’s journey in life was affected by his mother’s decisions. According to Wes Moore in the book, “The Other Wes Moore” (2010) “Our neighborhood was getting more and more dangerous; there had been a rash of break-ins in the houses around us” (36). Basically, Wes states that his neighborhood was not safe to live and grow up in. He was born in a poverty-stricken community under hard life conditions with uncontrolled life safety. Thereafter, Wes's mother decided to move to Bronx, New York after his father's distressing death looking for better environmental influences.

He had left behind a wife and three young children without a father to watch them grow and guide them through life. He had a family who loved him and deeply mourned his unexpected death. Up to this point I knew that the world could be cruel, I just didn’t know how cruel it could be. I had no idea that June 12, 2016 would be a date that had forever marked my family in the most unexpected way. What hurt the most was hearing he’s mother’s cry over her his departure from this world despite the constant murmur from people.

Growing up, I’d always thought that death was the worst thing that could ever happen to a person, but it wasn’t until halfway through my sophomore year that I discover the truth. I had never really thought about the horror of watching someone you love wither away into a shadow of their former self; that was something that happened in books and movies, not in real life and definitely not to me. I was only 15 when my grandmother finally decided that it was time to take my mom up on her offer and come live with us. Her motivation? She knew she didn’t have much time left and wanted to spend her final moments at our house with her family.

But when we finally got there, the house was almost worth the trip and the moving away from my beloved abode that I was born and raised in! Come to think of it, I was pretty ticked off about moving, but what had to be done, had to be done. Eventually after about a month, I got used to life in Missouri. Then it was time for the first day at a new

I never really fully cried, but I did loose a lot of sleep after my grandparents death. My mother was worried for a while because I would not sleep and my health was beginning to diminish. She ended up taking me to the doctor and they declared that I was suffering from insomnia. There was no explanation, but I knew that I was still grieving my grandparents, it was the only way that I could; since no one would know that I would cry in the middle of the night. About a couple of months later, everything was beginning to go back to normal, I still do not have the courage to speak about my grandmother or grandfather without shedding a tear.

She is then the only one left from her family, and is a coma because of the accident. Over the course of the novel If I Stay by Gayle Forman, Mia discovers that life is a gift it is important to spend time with your loved ones before it’s to late. Mia is not that concerned about spending time with her family towards the end, Mia realizes that family is important. The book starts out with Mia and her family going on a drive to visit some of their families friends. “We pile into the car, a rusting Buick that was already old when Gran gave it to us.” pg.

Her husband was the one to pick up all the pieces her father let fall. She talks about how he saved her from all the holes her father left behind and how he filled them and showed her what a true man is and what a great father is. “I will never leave her like you left me / And she will never have to wonder her worth” (36 and 37). Kelly starts talking about how she will stay by her daughter’s side and doesn’t want history to repeat itself. She wants a relationship with her daughter and wants to be there for her when she is growing

Growing up as a daughter of immigrants has made me appreciate my culture and background. I was mostly raised by my mom. My parents divorce has made me a stronger person because I have seen my mom struggle everyday. My siblings and I didn’t have two people to rely on like most people. My single mom raised three kids alone.