Personal Narrative: My Life In Panama

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Life is always throwing curve balls but it’s up to you to decide whether or not to swing. As the memorable Irving Berlin once said “Life is 10 percent what you make it, and 90 percent how you take it.” Two years ago, in Panama, I met a young girl named Ofelia who completely changed my perception of life. Ofelia was my age, fourteen, at the time and raising her three siblings all alone. Her past was horrifying but her insight on life still remained optimistic. She had nothing and was more than pleased with life. Unaware of how distinct and astonishing her personality and actions were. She shaped both my way of thinking and way of interpreting life for the better.
While on my trip I visited some of Panama’s native villages and met incredible people with unfortunate stories. No other person or story caught my eye more than Ofelia’s. Panama has a high poverty rate and a high percentage of orphans. Ofelia and her three brothers fall into both those categories. At the age of 13, Ofelia’s mother fell victim to domestic violence and her father to suicide. Unwilling to have her siblings’ taken to a foster home she dropped out of school and started working. Without a second thought, Ofelia put her needs second. …show more content…
At fourteen, the only real problem I had was determining whether or not I would wear shorts two days in a row. How can a fourteen year old, barley able to take care of herself, take care of three kids? Ofelia, not only took care of herself, but raised three marvelous young men. My problems compared to hers seemed foolish and immature. For quite some time I felt like an ungrateful, privileged, and senseless teenager. Frankly, I was one. I was never satisfied with what was given to me before that experience. Ungrateful is not a strong enough word to describe what I was. Thankfully, a remarkable person walked into my life, showed me that less is more and sparked a whole new interest in my heart other than boys and
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