“Today is a special gift, that’s why they call it the present.” sung by Calvin Coolidge. This quote really makes my mind go deeper into what I want out of life, because I do not want to miss a thing. I have hopes and dreams like any other person, but I have learned through the years that I dream big, I can accomplish anything and everything. The amount of time that I am living on this Earth is just a fraction of all time, I may not be here very long but I am not going to be forgotten. I may not be the next Rosa Parks or Michael Jackson, but I will make my own history.

When I get older I wantdesire to be a fashion designer. I hope to design a unique style that brings out the beauty and singularity in all people. The kind of style that everyone will feel confident in their own skin in. I will design a line that possess a casual beach style, with an added prep upgrade. Wearing these kinds of styles makes me feel confident, and shows the individual unexampled uniqueness of my nature. I want to have pop up stores all around the world, so that everyone can have the opportunity to experience a line of clothing, like no other. I live for the days when I truly feel like myself, when I wear what I want, do what I please, and live in the moment. 

When I graduate high school, I plan to take a gap year to travel around the world. I will travel to places all over Europe, Asia, Australia, and South America. When I come home I will study graphic art and design, at a private school somewhere on the East coast. My Aunt and Uncle gave each of me and my two brothers $10,000 to help pay for college tuition. I have high hopes that their generous contribution will not go waste, and will hopefully assist with my hopes and dreams for the future..

In the summer of 2015, my mom got the worst phone call possible. On the phone was my Aunt saying they found stage 4 cancer in my Uncle's brain. The Doctors said that the tumor was almost bigger in size than a golf ball. The tumor was right in the middle of his brain, so there was no way to remove it without harming his prior memories and intelligence. This call changed my family’s lives forever. From then on we decided to live like we were dying, and not let a second pass without making it an opportunity of creating memories together.

We all realized that his life was flashing before our eyes. We spent heaps of time together and visited whenever we could, but it didn’t seem like enough. No matter how much time we spend with him now, it felt like there was still wasted time before we found out. There was no way to change the past, but we can not get hung up on what we have missed.

A year later we discovered that the tumor is reducing in size. The chemotherapy was helping, and he is on his way to recovery. He has continued chemotherapy, and the tumor now is approximately the size of a large coffee bean. This has been some of the best news my family had received in a while. We were ecstatic to hear he will continue on his long journey of life.

I know that I have a very specific idea, for my future, and it probably will not go as planned, but I will be content with any outcome. Things like brain tumors, death, and failure happen extremely often. I will not be lying on my death bed thinking, I wish I did more. The most important thing about death to me is that the person's body might be gone, but their legacies will live on for eternity. When I die I hope I am not forgotten, that I am remembered for something remarkable, whether it be designing an amazing clothing line or discovering a new kind of blood cell, I will be remembered. I will truly live.