Carine Green College Essay For years, I sulked and cried at the absence of my father. Whenever I saw him or thought of him I could only feel abandonment in the place of his paternal position. I yearned to be closer. I yearned to know him; I prayed. I waited. I cried. Finally, my prayer was answered. I was given the opportunity to live with dad. I thought that my life would would change for the better until I realized that he was not my savior, the savior that I prayed for, longed for and hoped for. This realization came not long after living with him. My father judged me. He questioned my masculinity and he imposed upon my personality, my lifestyle. He made fun of me for his own entertainment. He hurt me, both physically and mentally. The constant teasing …show more content…
Hamlet and Ms. Mora were mentors and counselors who taught me how to love who I was even when others didn't. They taught me that in the end, my father may have done terrible things, but the sanctity, happiness and joy that I yearned for and wanted to feel could only come from letting go and learning how to forgive. Above all, the most important thing they taught me is that attributes of self-love and strength can be found in loving yourself no matter what. I decided that I needed to take my life back. So, with a fierce determination, come what may, I would refuse to succumb to adversity. I refused to buckle under the hands of my oppressor. I refused to give up. I decided that I would shift my thinking and outlook about my life. No longer would I let the negative feelings rule my life. I began to embrace and adapt positive thinking as well as read inspiring books as sources of encouragement. Soon, I began to feel courage, strength, and self-love - Things that laid dormant and now had the opportunity to germinate and grow. I harnessed them and I used them as the accelerant to fuel my fire. The fire that burns in my quest for success and