Our Difficult Experiences Issue 23 Home Page

Fall Foliage and Thoughts on Life Sofia Gonella from Argentina Photo: Sofia Gonella My mom was a fighter. When the doctor told her I would never speak again, she refused to believe it. I am sitting in front of the computer. I need to write what I am going to do during the beautiful fall coming up in Vermont. I am nervous because I think that my life at this moment depends on how much I learned in the intensive English during the last four months. All my life I have been a fighter. My mom told me that when I was born, I was the most beautiful baby in the world. She said the nurses in the hospital fell in love with the tiny baby I was. Time passed, and I started to be a strong and happy baby. Then, one day when I was five years old, my life changed a lot when I had a very serious convulsion with high fever. The doctor gave the wrong medicine to me, and this caused me to lose my speech. My mom couldn't believe that I could not speak like a five-year-old child. The doctor told her that the medicine caused a lot problems with my speech. He thought that I would never be able to speak well again or to learn another language. My mother, however, was a fighter. She sent me to a lot of teachers. Finally, she found the right teacher to help me to make my dream came true. Her name was Maria. She was a very nice person. She believed in me, and thought that I would speak again. The most amazing thing was that she taught me to read my mouth. I remember that I spent hours in front of the mirror and tried to repeat every word that I said. Imagine losing your speech and having to learn everything again. For me it was like being born again. I was born again. I learned to talk and speak my native language: Spanish. Now, I am studying English in Vermont. I can't believe that I am learning another language. But, I am! I am crying because studying here makes me feel happy, and it makes me smile when I remember what the doctors said to my mom: "She will never be able to speak or to learn another language. " I'll always remember the beautiful words my mom said to me when I was a child and learned to speak again after all. "You did something that nobody thought you could do. You fought in a war, you survived, and then you got a beautiful medal for your triumph. You realized an impossible dream that people said you would never do. I always will be proud of you, and you always will be my hero." Now, I 'm thinking about the beautiful fall foliage that is coming and what is going to happen to me. Just as every leaf is going to fall from the trees, I am going to take every step in my studies and in my life. I try to think about this and be a grateful person. More difficult experiences: I Fell Through the Ice | I Almost Choked on a Plum | A Ruined Sunday Morning Routine Return to: Our Difficult Experiences | Issue 23 | Home Page TOPICS Online Magazine - ©1997-2007 - topics.mag@gmail.com - Sandy and Thomas Peters