Personal Narrative: My Transition To Adulthood

When I was younger, I always wanted to be an adult. I was fortunate enough to have enjoyed a happy childhood, but something about being an adult mesmerized me. As I've gotten older, however, I've realized the naivety of this misconception and I've seen the struggles of adulthood firsthand.Back then, I had no idea that my transition to adulthood would occur much sooner than expected and in a way that no one should have to endure. When I was sixteen years old, my transition to adulthood was marked by my unexpected responsibility as a caregiver for my ill mother.
At the beginning of the summer of 2014, my mother became tragically ill after a hectic emergency room visit. Afterwards, extensive testing revealed that she had several serious medical conditions including atrial fibrillation, mitral valve disease ,and congestive heart failure. After her stay in the hospital, she was sent home with new medications and assured that her conditions could be easily managed. A short amount

of time would prove that the doctors could not have been more wrong.
After her release, her health deteriorated rapidly. She could no longer go up the stairs and she rarely left the house. At this point, it was clear that I had to care of her and take responsibility our household. My parents are divorced and my father isn't in my life. My sister lives over an hour away and my closest relatives are my grandparents who suffer from their own medical conditions. Essentially, I was the only family member who was able to take care of her. At the mere age of 16,I had become my mother's caregiver, nurse, and guardian.
Further visits with her cardiologist revealed that she would need a mitral valve replacement to save her life. The surgery took place on July 29, 2014 and fortunately it was successful. However, her recovery was rough. She was incredibly weak, so I was responsible for dressing her wounds, bathing her, administering her medications, and feeding her. As time went on, it was obvious that her surgery had taken an immense physical toll on her, but the mental downsides of her surgery had become apparent. She was incredibly vile at this time. She resented me due to how much she relied on me and she frequently lashed out at me. At the time I was hurt, but I knew that she was in a vulnerable state and that she needed me more than she would ever admit. After several weeks of hard recovery, she slowly returned to health.
I'm thrilled to report that my mother is currently well.

Everyday, I thank God for her health and I'm grateful to myself for all that I was able to do for her. I would absolutely consider the time of my mother's illness as my transition to adulthood because I learned what adulthood meant. To me, adulthood isn't about independence, but it is about responsibility and putting others before myself. In the summer of 2014, I unfortunately learned this lesson the hard way, but as a result my mother is now healthy and I have learned the inconsistency of life. In my transition to adulthood, I was able to step up and take care of the mother who had always been there for me. As a strong and independent single mother, she has always been my hero and the epitome of the adult I always strived to be. Seeing her in her vulnerable state during her illness didn't change my opinion of her, it strengthened it as I learned about the responsibilities, expectations, and sacrifices that adulthood and maturity

bring.