I had never been faced with many difficulties in my life until last spring. Things had gone my way at least most of the time, and I felt very fortunate. Then everything changed. First, I had worked very hard on a piano solo for Solo & Ensemble. I made it to the state level, but I fell apart at state and got a 2 for a song I had spent countless hours working on. I had never gotten a 2 in all my five years of playing in Solo & Ensemble. I guess it had to happen at some point, but I still don't know if the lessons learned were worth what I felt that day.
As if that wasn't bad enough, a couple weeks later my dog was hit on the road during the night, and she died. I loved her very much, and I still think of her often. I never got to say goodbye. The last time I ever held that sweet dog was when I carried her off the road. A lot of people didn't like her but I loved her as I never had loved an animal before. She deserved a better life than what I could give her, and I hope my love was enough for her. One of the only ways I've felt better about her death has been to write letters to her. Some people might be skeptical of this, and before it happened I probably would've laughed at someone who did that. It just all builds up inside of me and the only way to release my emotions is by writing. I write in the form of letters, even though she is in a place unreachable by all means. I will never forget the life she gave me.
Both of these things led me to thinking: "What next? What more can possibly happen?" Those were two of the most horrible weeks of my life, but things have improved over time. I figured out what college I want to go to, and I'm beginning to make plans now. I think the only way to really get over hardships is to look toward the future with hope, and know that even if it seems impossible, there are brighter days ahead.