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What Is Stress? Many do not bother to ponder over this question because society has built in our minds that stress is often unwanted and worrisome. When asked; "What is stress?" common answers among teen girls are school, family, work, relationships and pressure. Now some wonder why these are common answers, and most do not know why. It could be because we have difficulty dealing with things we can't control or we do not know how to control things we can. Stress causes heartache and pain that is often hard to deal with. It can cause some to doubt themselves and others. While it can be dealt with in a matter of time some often turn to others and need long term help. |
| Marcia's Story |
| It was my freshman year of high school and I was very excited to start. Taking all honors classes from 7:00am to 3:30p.m. I adjusted well and was ready to start this new journey in my life. Little did I know my journey would consist of two-way streets, a fork in the road and the destruction of the strongest bridge I had ever known.
Though I often expected the streets and fork in the road, my life began to crumble when my bridge began to wear down. Everyday I would come to that bridge and it would amaze me. With its' size and stability it put other bridges to shame. The color of its' shiny wires was complemented by its' strong screws and thing ma jigs that put this masterpiece in its' place. Anyone who came in contact with the bridge feared its' size but admired and loved its' strength and beauty. I relied on this bridge to take me anywhere I needed to go. It was my protector and I trusted in it. So when the forecaster announced a hurricane coming, everyone thought this bridge would survive. No one realized how serious it would be because a hurricane can come at any time and effect anyone. Someone's hurricane could be cancer while another one's hurricane could be an accident or death. The impact of the hurricane didn't surface until that terrible Saturday afternoon when it hit home. Everyone was shocked by the fierceness of this hurricane. It left behind millions of dollars worth of damage and years worth of heartache and pain. With this over everyone thought things could only get better. At least that's what they thought before they went to see the bridge. The bridge was named George. "He's survived worst things than this," said our neighbor. But the look on his wires and the pile of screws laying beside him, not in him where there supposed to be, left him weaker. As the weeks went on George slowly got better. Though he didn't recover the strength he originally had, his spirit was there and everybody had hope. It was coming up to George's one year recovery since the hurricane and he seemed to be back, at least until December hit. He looked pale and weak. He couldn't take the amount of weight he used to. Because of this, we all became very worried and spent time with him every day. The following Saturday, news of George's collapse went around like an airborne disease. People from all over came to pay their respects. George was my father and he died December 19, 1997, a month before he came to his 1 year recovery from cancer. He died during my freshman year. With all the pressures of starting a new school and taking harder classes, that was the last thing I needed. I felt it difficult to keep a 90 average, house chores, outside activities and deal with the loss of my father. At first I didn't know whom to turn to. I didn't want to burden my mother because she just lost her husband, while my siblings had lives of their own. I later learned that my way of thinking was somewhat altered. My mom made me realize that we were family and that family is supposed to be there for one another in good and in bad times. So with the help of her and my siblings I learned to talk openly about my feelings and not hold anything back. I also started to read the bible a lot more. With the help of that and more praying I learned that I shouldn't try to be "super daughter/student" because I'm bound to make mistakes and that's a part of life. By Marcia Pitkin |
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