Rising Above

If you have an abusive relationship with your drug and alcohol addicted parents, could you ever rise above it? Could you ever live up to your full potential? Our country has continued to struggle with these problems over the years. Some give up and settle for the sad life they’ve been born into while others are motivated by the desire to be anything like that. Factors that may affect whether or not a person can rise above a difficult family upbringing include your education, drive, choices, and drugs/alcohol abuse.
Education is a big factor when determining if someone is able to rise above a hard upbringing. Looking into the future, education is the foundation of a career and therefore one’s success. Jeannette Walls, author of The Glass Castle, and Liz Murray, inspiration of Homeless to Harvard: Liz’s Murray’s Story, both agree that an education is necessary in order to be successful. Throughout their stories, they both worked hard in school and highly regarded their education. Jeannette’s mother Rose Mary agrees saying, “I’ve always believed in the value of a good education,” (Walls, 265). Many children take their education granted and don’t realize it is a privilege. Without a decent education, it will be nearly impossible to land a suitable job. With no job, it will be difficult to support yourself.
One’s drive is the most important factor in determining if someone can rise above a hard upbringing. You may have heard the old saying “If there’s a will, there’s a way”. That adage most certainly applies in this situation. It’s impossible to succeed if you lack ambition. One can either choose to cut corners and do the least amount of work possible or choose to use the past as motivation for the future. It’s easy to fall through ...

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...he body long lasting, mothers who are addicted to drugs and alcohol and have babies, pass this on to the newborn fetus. What chance does a child have born into a situation which they had nothing to do with and no voice to cry out for help. Those kids are then locked into a life of learning disabilities, behavioral disorders, and emotional disturbances. This happens all the time in places closer than we’d think.

Works Cited

Ehrenreich, Barbara. Nickel and Dimed. Holt: New York, 2001. Print.
Silverstein, Sam. “The Power of Choice.” Sam Silverstein Enterprises, inc., April 2, 2007. Web. May 21, 2014.
“The Truth About Alcohol.” Foundation For A Drug-Free World. Web. May 21, 2014.
Walls, Jeannette. The Glass Castle: A Memoir. New York : Scribner, 2005. Print.
“Common Reasons Why Those Who Need Treatment Don’t Get It”. Elements Behavioral Health. Web. May 21, 2014.