Paige Trischler
“Each day I am thankful for
Nights that turned into mornings
Friends turned into family
Dreams that turned into reality
And likes that turned into loves…”
-Anonymous
Those four lines sum up my motto on life. I am thankful that nights turn into mornings because if I did something wrong the previous day, I have a chance to make it right. I don’t let one bad thing ruin something as beautiful as a new day. Each day, you should live your life to the fullest and be thankful for what you have.
I am thankful for the group of friends I have. My friends have been there for me ever since my diagnosis. My friends are my ‘chosen’ family. I chose them because they keep me strong when I think I cannot be strong. Family isn’t always blood. It can also be people that you get along with almost all the time. Yes, you will have your disagreements, but that is what happens in families.
I am thankful for the activities I participate in at school. This is my first year as a member of the bandfront at my school. When I started band, I wasn’t sure what I got myself into. When band practices started, it was hot outside. The temperature was in the 90s. Our practices started at the beginning of July. We practiced 4-6 hours a day. When we started drills and the dances to the music, though, I instantly loved it. When band camp started, it was fun, but then the homesickness started setting in. When members of the band found out that I was homesick, they all helped me through the week. Despite being homesick, I loved being at camp with all my friends. The week turned out to be one of my best memories of this school year thus far. I am thankful for the memories and friendships I made during band season!
The truth about dreams is they don’t always come true, but when they do it it’s the best feeling in the world—I know this from experience. I’ve been trying to make the honor roll on my report card for quite some time, and I finally achieved my goal and made the grades. I was very proud of myself when I saw what I accomplished. I’ve been working at this for a long time, and it is what I am most thankful for this season!
I do not allow PKD to define who I am. However, I am thankful for my struggle, because without it I wouldn’t stumble across my strengths.