I had everything going for me. Excelling grades, my parents were getting along, I was still asking Nancy what should I say to my crush, and basketball season was getting better and better. How could life get any better right? Then it changed instantly with a phone call, giving me one of the most rewarding experiences of my life.

On April 16, 2009, the day was more beautiful then it ever had been. The sun was shining I could smell the fresh sizzling smell of bacon my mom was making. The phone rang. I found it weird since usually no one calls at least until after 10:00. Well I answered and strangely it was Coach Donovan from the youth center. I would think that she would be having a morning practice with her club team so I found it odd for her calling. She called and stressed the fact that she wanted everyone to volunteer at Maryvale Shelter. Of course I could not refuse. We all met up at the center and went together. My mom was the parent who volunteered to tag along with us. She felt that it would be good for she and I to go together since that’s where we were from, Maryvale. When we were riding away, I could tell that’s some girls have never been outside of Phoenix before. Pretty much every single one of them had a puzzled look on their faces as they saw the people on the street and the neighborhood structures. When we arrived they even got a little more anxious to hurry and get in the building.
When we were inside, there was a group of kids there. We were all assigned to each kid so we were all introduced by our coach. I was introduced to Alyssa. At the time I was thrilled to meet her. Our first activity was to tell each other about our families. I babbled on about how my sisters annoy the heck out of me and after there was silence. Therefore, I started talking about my parents and still there was silence. Her expressions were as if she had no interest whatsoever, so I had no clue what to do. Then I was going to speak again and then she finally broke out and said, “ I have no family my doll is the only thing I have left”,. There was a quick pause of silence. She was grasping here doll while I was in complete shock. My mom dropped instantly along with my heart. At that moment she told me how her mom died in a car accident a long with her sister. He dad was off somewhere in Europe, for he left when her mom was pregnant. Tears slowly began to roll down her face. She was grasping her ripped up doll that she had. She said it reminds her of her mother and always preys with it before she goes to sleep at night. She explained how hard it is to go to school and see parents drop their kids off in cars when she is taken to school in a van. I realized that life changes and you have no control of what happens of the consequence.

Throughout all the rest of the activities I was telling her how she needs to stay positive for her mom and sister. I see her once a month and its always uplifting. Alyssa always teaches me how to be thankful and how you must keep moving to get through it.