I’ve had many life changing events happen to me, good and bad. But the one that has stuck out to most me was having my bad eye sight. I get picked on a lot for my glasses and I laugh it off but most people don’t really realize how serious it actually is. I was born with cataracts and got my lens taken out of both my eyes. I was diagnosed with glaucoma a few years later. I had to have surgery after surgery when I was younger. I have had my glasses since I was two months old and contacts since I was four months old. Since I’ve grown up with glasses, and contacts, putting eye drops in my eyes doesn’t even bother me anymore. Having bad eye sight isn’t fun but it has made me a stronger person.

“HaHa four eyes” is one of the many nicknames I have been called. If something is ever written small kids in my class often will “joke around” and ask for my magnify glasses (referring to my glasses because of how thick they are).I have a pair of glasses that I used to wear in elementary school that would make my eyes look huge, but now I wear contacts with reading glasses over them so I don’t have to wear those big glasses anymore.

When I was younger I never liked to wear my contacts but now all I do is wear my contacts. I remember in elementary school kids would always ask me to do the “glasses” thing which is where I would pull my glasses far from my face and it would make my eyes look huge. I thought it was cool that they thought it was funny, but I don’t think they understood what is was like to have bad eye sight or having to wear glasses that thick. There were some days when I would refuse to wear my glasses or I would cry and beg my parents to somehow fix my eyes. I just never understood why I was the only one who had to put eye drops in my eyes. I never understood why teachers would print bigger copies of homework or sit me in the front. But now I do, and I know it’s because those things help me and make things easier. Although times got hard I always knew I could go to my friends for support. Even at a young age I had my close friends who never picked on me or treated me different because of my eyes. The older and older I got the closer and closer I and my friends became.

My, friends weren’t the only ones that were there for me, my family was too. They loved me for who I was. My mom was born with CP (Cerebral Palsy) and she taught me to never give up. Every day she would inspire me to do my best at everything and show me that nothings impossible. My mom has seen me at my best and she has definitely me at my worst

“I wish I had perfect vision like everyone else, I don’t want to wear my glasses!” I say wiping the tears from my eyes.

My mom replied. “And I wish I had a perfect left arm and left leg, and I don’t want to wear my leg brace either.”
When I was little I used to pray that I would wake up and be able to see my room without my putting my glasses on. The older I got the more I would cry or be mad at God for giving me bad eyesight. Now I have realized I was given bad eyesight for a reason, and I should be grateful because it could be worse. I would bring all my problems to God and it made my relationship better with him. I know everyone has their flaws and God made mine my eyesight. I have accepted the fact that I will never be able to have perfect vison, and that I would have to wear glasses and contacts, have surgeries and test done.

Next, sports has had a huge impact on my life as well. I have played softball, basketball, volleyball, ran track, been in gymnastics, played soccer, and this coming up will be my first time ever cheering. I had to quit playing softball at age 11 because of my eyesight. I couldn’t see the ball when I was up to bat and it was hard for me to see the signs the coaches were giving me while I was on base. It was hard to stop playing because I had played softball all the way since the t-ball days and machine pitch. It crushed me knowing the only reason I had to stop was because of my eyes. Although it crushed me I now think it was a good life lesson. I didn’t let that stop me from doing other sports and I didn’t let it bring my confidence down. If only made me strive harder and work hard in other sports I play in.

Finally, my eyesight has brought me a lot of troubles and hard times but it has, believe it or not, brought me good. It has brought me close to my family and showed me my true friends and built a relationship with God. My bad eyes have brought me hope that one day in the future I will be able to have surgery that will help me to see almost perfectly. This has also made me the person I am today.

In conclusion, I feel like this has made me a better person because it has made me know bullying is bad and everyone should be treated equal. I now can say I will stand up to bullies because I know what it’s like to be bullied. I don’t let my eyesight stop me from being the person I want to be and I don’t let it keep me from living life. I hope that one day I will be able to turn to the people who have made fun of me and thank them. Thank them for making me want to strive harder and accomplish life goals. I want them to know they aren’t bringing me down, they’re only making me stronger. One day I pray that I will be able to see perfectly clear and I also pray that you’ll be there to whiteness it.