This I Believe: The Pursuit of Happiness
When I was young, I learned early on that sports were one of the things that gave me complete and utter joy. Ever since I was four, I had competed in swim meets, basketball games, soccer tournaments, and cross-country races, hoping that one day I would be good enough to compete at the collegiate level. But when I was 10, I felt this deep, throbbing pain in my right shoulder at swim practice. The pain gradually increased until I finally broke down crying on the side of the pool. At the time, the doctors thought it was just growing pains, but the pain continued to persist for years. During that time, we tried every imaginable test, treatment, and physical therapy and the doctors eventually announced that I had a rare medical condition called Thoracic Outlet Syndrome. The problem was that I had an extra cyst in my shoulder. But there was no surgery they could perform and there was no known treatment that could permanently fix it.
So during the next five years, the pain lived on. That familiar deep, throbbing sensation in my shoulder was what I came to expect every day. Sometimes, my hands would tremble in the middle of class and my vision would blur because of the strain my body had to withstand. It was five long years until I actually found a medication that worked and even then the medication did not eliminate the problem but merely covered it up for an extended period of time.
But with the medication, the pain became tolerable. After years of holding onto that last shred of hope, my life got better. Never once in those five years did I stop playing sports. I loved running and basketball more anything and I promised myself that I would never give up the things that made me happy. Even if it meant passing out on the sidelines after I played a basketball game without stop. Even if I crossed the finish life shaking and in tears because I was forcing my body to endure so much pain.
So after all these years, I’ve learned to persevere through anything knowing that the solution might come years after the problem enters your life. I’ve learned how to cherish my health knowing that the days I’m not in pain are considered a blessing. But the most important thing I’ve learned, this I believe more than anything. No matter how long it takes, I believe in the pursuit of happiness. Some problems in your life can last for years. But those struggles should never discourage you, weaken you, or cripple you. You learn to enjoy every amazing moment. You learn to be grateful for everything you are given. You learn, after years of struggling, how to be happy.